SYMBOLISM 



SYMBOLISM 



A Treatise on the Soul of Things ; How the Natural World is 

but a Symbol of the Real World ; the Modern Church, 

with its Spire and Cross, and the Bible Account 

of Noah's ark symbols of the Phalic religion 



r 7 

| The PaGk of Playing Gards, or Book of Fifty-two, an | 
! Ancient Masonic Bible; Badi Card a Symbol of Universal ! 
| Law. The United States a Masonic Nation, whose Duty 

2 



L 



and History are Read in these Andent SaGred Symbols. 



By MILTON ALBERTO POTTENGER 



The Ten Digits constituting our Mathematical System — Why 

they are Made in the Manner they are — Why there are but 

Ten — They and the Ten Spot Cards Reveal the same 

Psychic Laws — The Lost Word Revealed— Many 

Masonic Symbols and Biblical Expressions 

given a New and Natural Explanation. 



PUBLISHED BY THE 

SYMBOL PUBLISHING COMPANY 

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 



<&* 











. ^oOiL-i 






\ JUL 19 


iyu;> 






q COW"*" 1 -'■" ' 

' OOP* t*. ' 







V- 



Entered according to Act of Congress, July, 1905, in the Office of 'the Librarian of 

Congress, at Washington, D. C. 

By MlI/TON ALBERTO POTTENGBR. 



PRESS OF A. J. JOHNSTON CO. 
Sacbamento, Calif., U. S. A. 



SYMBOLISM vii 



DEDICATORY. 

TO THOSE WHO HAVE OPEN 
AND RECEPTIVE MINDS, WILL- 
ING TO TAKE TRUTH BY THE 
HAND WHEREVER FOUND; TO 
THOSE "LITTLE CHILDREN" 
WHO, IT WAS DECLARED, ARE 
THE ONLY ONES PREPARED 
TO ENTER HEAVEN; TO THE 
MASONIC FRATERNITY; TO 
THE CITIZEN, AND TO THE 
STUDENT OF MYSTICISM 
THESE PAGES ARE RESPECT- 
FULLY DEDICATED. 

I HAVE WRITTEN, NOT FOR 
THOSE WHO KNOW, BUT FOR 
THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW. 



viii SYMBOLISM 



PREFACE. 

N PRESENTING "Symbolism" to the world the author feels 
a sense of satisfaction in having accomplished a long cher- 
ished desire. The information contained herein, is not new 
to a few at least. Because of the prejudice of "the world," 



ftftW 



those who have been in possession of the light have hesitated to let it 
shine, knowing the time was not yet. It is expected that authori- 
ties will be searched to find the relation of Masonry to Playing 
Cards, but such authorities as the public will most frequently con- 
sult have themselves been misled. They have been obliged to as- 
sign some excuse for the existence of playing cards and not knowing 
the truth, have attributed their origin to the amusement of a foolish 
king, etc. One excuse is as good as another, however, when the real 
truth cannot be revealed, therefore the custodians of the light have 
permitted all sorts of misinformation to be circulated, knowing the 
true light would be revealed at the proper time. The truth teller is 
still in danger of social ostracism ; not in danger as to personal liberty 
and life, however, as of yesterday. Humanity claims to have made 
wonderful progress, yet we read of a Christian nation asking God to 
assist it, by means of warfare, in its endeavors to annihilate another 
equally Christian nation. Brother is still arrayed against brother: 
each still believes in a personal God, subject to bribery and barter. 
Each still thinks of heaven as a locality, of hell an alleyway lead- 
ing thereto. 

Science has already reached the border land of materiality, her 
past domain, and is now stretching forth her hand into the realm of 
the psychic. Humanity itself, however, is fast becoming synthetical 



SYMBOLISM ix 



and scientific, and in order to retain their hold as teacher, and priest, 
and doctor, these professions must of a necessity find new fields of 
thought into which to lead their followers or lose their office. 

Their cable tow of the past having about united with that of the 
immediate future they find themselves pushed off the mountain of 
error into the great realm of unknown truth — as yet unexplored — 
whose title may well be said to be "The Unknown Country/' 

The layman now lays aside faith and demands of the man of 
God that he prove his title by his works. 

The doctor, claiming for his profession a scientific basis, is com- 
manded to cease "practicing" and give positive results. 

Symbolism is offered the public as a simple key. Its study and 
perusal will open to the "ripe" mind a store of unfathomable riches. 
It is hoped that by it many a soul will "see" the light, then "seek" and 
in "secrecy" find the truth of his own being. 



SYMBOLISM 



NOTICE. 

The two large charts embraced in this work may become torn 
and otherwise disfigured by much use and reference. Should the 
owner ever desire to replace them, or want duplicates for more con- 
venient reference, the same can be had by addressing the publisher. 
The price is 15 cents each or the two for 25 cents. 



SYMBOLISM xi 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I Page i 

A NARRATIVE 

CHAPTER II Page 33 

DIVINE TRUTH 

A Search for Truth — To Know Truth One Must Be Truth — 
What a Symbol Is — How the Ancients by Means op Sym- 
bols Have Perpetuated Their Knowledge of Universal 
Laws — The Church, Freemasonry and the People Each 
Entrusted With a Duty — Only the People Have Been 
True to the Charge — The Bible of the Ancients Is To- 
Day a Plaything and Known as a Pack of Playing Cards 
— The Discovery of America and Development of the 
United States Precludes the Necessity of Longer Keep- 
ing Secret the Real True Nature of This Sacred Book of 
Symbols — Beauty of Symbolism. 

CHAPTER III Page 42 

HUMANITY A UNIT 

"I and My Father Are One" — "Ye and Me Are Brothers" — "If 
I Be Raised Up I Draw All Men Unto Me" — These Quota- 
tions From Christ Are Simple Truths Applicable to 
Every One — We Are All Saviors; We Are All Judases — 
They Are Symbolic Expressions of Laws Operating With- 
in Every Person — Every Man a Prophet; Every Man the 
Fulfillment of a Prophecy— -All Are Criminals; All Are 
Executioners — Past, Present and Future Blended Into 
the Eternal Now — The Assassination of Lincoln, Gar- 



xii SYMBOLISM 



FIELD AND McKlNLEY LAID AT THE DOOR OF HUMANITY'S 

Thought — The United States a Light-Bearer to the 
World. 

CHAPTER IV Page 54 

SUBJECT OF SYMBOLISM 

Nature Itself One Vast Symbol — Masonry and Catholicism 
Rich Fields in Symbolism for the Mystic Student — Soul, 
Spirit and Matter Defined — The Christian Cross in Sym- 
bolism a Picture of the Male Organ — The Circle and 
Square a Picture of the Female Organ — How Humanity 
Unconsciously Is Perpetuating the Old Phallic Religion 
— The Bible Account of Noah's Ark and the Two Pillars 
of Masonry Shown To Be a Kindergarten Story of the 
Perpetuation of the Animal Species Through the Blend- 
ing of the Sexes. 

CHAPTER V Page 68 

TAROT OF THE BOHEMIAN 

CHAPTER VI Page 95 

The Divine Language of the Pack of Playing Cards — As a 
Record of God's Sacred and Inspired Word Its Authen- 
ticity Is Second to None Other, Being Written in a Lan- 
guage Universal, Dealing With the Laws of Soul, Spirit 
and Body — The Four Suits as Emblems Refer to the Four 
Elements in Nature: Fire, Earth, Air and Water — The 
Diamond the Cross of Christ; the Spade, an Acorn; the 
Heart, a Flame of Fire; the Club, a Clover Leaf — The 
Four Kings Symbols of Life and Death. 



SYMBOLISM xiii 



CHAPTER VII Page 105 

Woman a Ruler as Well as Man — Her Power to Rule Being 
the Law oe Conception — The Four Jacks Symbols oe the 
Neuter Element in Matter — Also Symbols oe the Soul, 
Conscience and Christ Principle — The Attitude oe the 
Court Cards Show a Desire eor the Principle Symbolized 
by the Suit. 

CHAPTER VIII Page 115 

King Solomon's Temple and the Human Body One and the 
Same — Diseases of" Women the Result oe Amorous 
Thoughts Directed Toward Them by Men — The Women 
oe America Have Recognized This Law and by Resolution 
Have Declared Against It — Consideration oe the Indi- 
vidual Cards — King oe Diamonds — King oe Spades — King 
oe Hearts — King oe Clubs — The King oe Clubs Wears 
Upon His Breast the Ancient Badge oe a Free and Ac- 
cepted Mason. 

CHAPTER IX Page 128 

The Knave, Politician, Christ and the Conscience All One 
and the Same — Jack oe Diamonds, in Sign oe Libra, Sym- 
bol oe the Soul in Its First Embodiments; Also Symbol oe 
the Masonic Candidate — Jack oe Spades, in Sign Capri- 
corn, Symbol oe the Advancement Made by the Candidate 
— The Origin oe the Expression, "Riding the Goat" — 
Overcoming Death — Jack oe Hearts, in Sign Aries, 
Teaches the Same Lesson as the Grand Degree oe the 
Royal Arch — When Divine Love Is Made a Mercantile 
Commodity It Brings Death to the Vendor — Jack oe 
Clubs, in Sign Cancer, the Candidate Makes the Grand 
Discovery. 



xiv SYMBOLISM 



CHAPTER X . Page 139 

The Four Queens — The Flowers Carried by Them Symbolize 
the Nine Months of Gestation, the Twelve Months of 
the Year, the Signs of the Zodiac, Etc. — Queen of Spades, 
Symbol of Death and Resurrection — The Queen Card 
Also a Symbol of the Christ Principle — Birth of 
America the Birth of Woman's Freedom — The Important 
Part Woman Is Playing in the Evolution of the Race — 
The Duty of the United States — Its Relations With 
Other Nations Prophesied in the Cards — Physical Di- 
visions of the Country, Number of States, Execu- 
tive, Judiciary and Legislative Branches Seen and 
Read in the Cards — Even the District of Columbia 
Symbolized by One of the Cards — Vision of an Interna- 
tional Flag. 

CHAPTER XI Page 153 

The Grand Archetypal Man — The Four Suits Co-ordinate 
With the Four Elements, Fire, Earth, Air and Water — 
Growth and Development of Our Bodies Shown To Be the 
Result of Planetary Influence — By the Chart Every One 
Can See the Nature of His Cross — It Is a Picture of 
the Masonic Grand Lodge or King Solomon's Temple — The 
Candidate Is Symbolized by the Jack of Diamonds in the 
Sign Libra, Quarter of Wealth — The Tramp and the 
Millionaire — The Kidneys Brains of Sexation — The Two 
Pillars of the Temple. 

CHAPTER XII Page 161 

Jack of Spades, Sign Capricorn, Quarter of Death — The Can- 
didate Has Lost His Perfection — Learns the Lesson of 



SYMBOLISM xv 



Compensation — The Scapegoat — It Is in This Quarter 
the Soul Meets and Overcomes Death. 

CHAPTER XIII Page 164 

Jack of Hearts in Quarter of Love, Sign Aries — The Candi- 
date Is Still Imperfect — Having Overcome Death He Is 
Now Taught the Lesson of the Evergreen Leaf — He 
Learns to Walk With God — The Debris of Solomon's 
Temple, Human Thought — The Discovery and Raising of 
the Grand Master by the Candidate Himself — The Three 

T's. 

CHAPTER XIV Page 170 

Jack of Clubs, Quarter of Wisdom, Sign Cancer — The Candi- 
date Takes the Degree of Perfection and Is Crowned 
With Life Everlasting — The True Lesson of the Cable 
Tow Is Revealed — The Legend of Osiris and Isis — The 
Zodiacal Sign of the Crab (Cancer) a Symbol Teaching 
the Same Lesson as the Cable Tow — The Candidate Soul 
Discovers and Lays Hold of His Own Heart — He Becomes 
the Word — An Ancient Badge of a Free and Accepted 
Mason. 

CHAPTER XV Page 17^ 

A Brief Glimpse at the Esoteric Meaning of the Signs of the 
Zodiac — Aries, the Head, Signifies Strategy, Service and 
Soul Power; Also the Christ Principle — Cancer, the 
Breasts, Concentration, Service and Christ — Libra, the 
Reins, Teach Self Judgment, Service of an Unpleasant 
Nature — To Lose the Power of One's Kidneys Is to Lose 
One's Life — Why a Mason Should Protect His Kidneys — 



xvi SYMBOLISM 



Capricorn, the Knees, Symbol of Rejection, Introspec- 
tion — A Symbol of the Committee of Investigation — The 
Four Mental Signs, Homes of the Four Knaves, Combine 
to Make True Birthplaces for the Only Divine Calling, 
That of the Lawyer. 

CHAPTER XVI Page 189 

A Kabalistic Chart — Geometry and Masonry Synonymous — 
The Tarot — Evolution and War — Faith the Foundation 
of All Endeavor — The Heart a Picture of Love- —Gold 
and God Polar Opiposites — Hyram Abif and the Soul 
Shown To Be One and the Same. 

CHAPTER XVII Page 196 

Gender in Vegetation — The Wonderful Multiplying Powers 
of Cereals — The Vegetable Kingdom Expresses a Part of 
the Grand Word — Struggle and Strife Necessary to 
Growth — In the Animal World Only Does War Exist — 
When a Brain Has Been Evolved and Prepared, Then the 
Soul Takes Possession — The Human Soul Never Incar- 
nated in Anything Less Than the Human Animal — 
Names as Symbols — Names Like the Grand Word in Three 
Parts. 

CHAPTER XVIII Page 202 

The Four Great Emblems — The Three Ruffians — Number Be- 
longs to the Soul Realm and Is Expressed in Color Only 
— Name Is Characteristic of the Spirit Form — Owned by 
the World of Matter — The Esoteric Meaning of the Two 
Veils. 



SYMBOLISM xvii 



CHAPTER XIX Page 209 

IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS 

Atoms as Mirrors — Humanity Unconscious of Health, but 
Awake to Disease — The Human Family Covering the 
Surface of the Earth Likened Unto the Cuticle, or 
Skin, of the Individual — Each Individual Human a 
Center Creative, and the Entire Human Famly the Cir- 
cumference — Masonry Conceals Its Secrets From Aix 
Except the Adepts — Using False Explanations and Mis- 
interpretations — Truth a Deadly Thing — Man in Con- 
stant Communion With God. 

CHAPTER XX Page 215 

DIGITS 

Symbolism of the Nine Digits and Cipher — Why Our Mathe- 
matical System Includes Only Ten Characters — Why 
They Are so Formed — A Defense of Lucifer — Why 
Masons Should Study Mathematics — Gender in Num- 
bers — Every Breath We Breathe Is Numbered, Gendered 
and Named — A Scientific Explanation of Blessing Food — 
A Basis for the Science of Astrology — Why Masons 
Should Study Chemistry, Music and Architecture — The 
Christian Cross Shown in a New Light — The Double; 
Cross — Sealed by the Stars. 

CHAPTER XXI Page 234 

THE MASONIC TILED FLOOR 

The Surface of the Earth the Tiled Floor of the Universal 
Lodge—Each Atom of Matter a White or a Black Square 
— How the Tiled Floor Teaches the Lesson of Evolution 
— Suns Like Individuals, Have Their Polar Opposites — 



xviii SYMBOLISM 



How the Square Becomes a Circle — A Mason's Every 
Thought Is on the Square — Man a Creator of Life 
Within Himself — The Nature and Longevity of All 
Life Dependent Upon the Size of the Square Made by 
the Creating Soul, Whether It Be a Square of the Uni- 
verse or Only a Man's Body — Five Points of Contact Il- 
lustrated by the Rose Croix. 

CHAPTER XXII Page 244 

MAN UNIVERSAL 

Man's Mind Is Everywhere — Possible for Clairvoyants to See 
the Same Person in Different Places at the Same Time — 
The Reader Is Invited to Try a Simple Experiment and 
Prove the Universality of His Own Mind — Mental Acro- 
batics — Memory a Faculty of the Mind, Not of the Brain 
— Prophecy the Art of Reading the Mind — Matter a 
Vehicle of Mind — All Our Thoughts, Acts and Deeds, 
Now and Forever, Recorded in the Atomic World — A Stu- 
pendous Thought — A Glimpse at Our Own Future. 

CHAPTER XXIII Page 250 

THE LION'S GRIP 

Misinterpretation by Masons of Their Symbols — The Lion's 
Grip Said To Be a Relic of Sun Worship — The Three 
Ruffians Claimed To Be the Three Winter Months — A 
Wide Guess at the Crux Ansata — Its True Meaning a 
Union of the Sexes — A Memento of the Phallic Religion 
Handed Down to Us — The Crux Ansata and the Figure 
Six Symbols of the Same Law — Why Woman Cannot Be 
a Mason — The Entire Lesson of Masonry Taught in the 
Three First Degrees, Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft 
and Master. 



SYMBOLISM xix 



CHAPTER XXIV Page 261 

THE ALL-SEEING EYE 

The Human Sour, Born into Matter with the Five Senses 
Fully Developed for It — These Are Its Working Tools — 
The Trestle Board op the Soul — The Soul Like Hiram 
Abip, a Skilled Workman Among Metals — No Sound Ex- 
cept Metallic Sound — Psycho metry a Masonic Art — The 
Origin op Handshaking — Grips, Signs and Passwords May 
Be Counterfeited, but the Law op the Soul Is Unerring — 
The Intelligence op the Atom — The Importance op the 
Atom — Atoms Bear the Imprint and Name op the Form in 
Which They Are Incorporated — We Are Unconscious op 
Health, but Awaken to Hunger, Thirst, Disease and 
Pain — It Was the Sinners Who Were Nearest Ap- 
proached by Christ — Each Human Being an Atom in the 
Divine Anatomy — Humanity as a Whole Forms the Skin 
or Cuticle op the World — The World Itself but an Atom 
in the Universe op Worlds — Each Individual a Center 
and the Human Family Its Circumference — How Ma- 
sonry Intentionally Misleads Its Members — The Truth 
Is Not for Those Who Would Misuse It — Truth a Deadly 
Thing — Man in Constant and Conscious Communion with 
God. 

CHAPTER XXV Page 268 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE LAW 

The Reader Is Invited to Test the Truthfulness of the State- 
ments Made in the Preceding Pages by a Joint Exercise of 
the Will and Breath — A Realization of Life. 



SYMBOLISM 




A NARRATIVE 

CHAPTER I . 

The writer was raised in and about Chicago. In the month of 
March, 1884, President Arthur appointed me to take charge of the 
Indian school at Fort Hall, Ida., Mrs. Pottenger being named as 
matron. The position, it was stated, was non-political; my tenure of 
office would probably be of long duration since much difficulty had 
been experienced in getting a teacher to stay for any considerable 
period in that lonely locality. The only other white people at the fort 
were the sewing teacher and cook. 

I took a deep interest in the work of teaching the Indian children ; 
indeed, I enjoyed the duties more than any work I ever had before 
or since. We had been in our new position only six months, however, 
when we were discharged by President Cleveland. 

White people were not allowed to live on the Fort Hall reserva- 
tion. Our nearest neighbor was a man named George Howell, who 
lived across the Blackfoot river and several miles from the fort. In 
some manner, having learned of our discharge, he invited us to make 
his log cabin our home until we could locate ourselves. In a few 
weeks the door of another log cabin opened. "Dud" Gramer, a bach- 
elor cowboy living up the Blockfoot river several miles, allowed that 
"if we would keep house and 'tend the ranch while he rode the range 
he would do the fair thing by us," so we took up our abode with him 



SYMBOLISM 



on what was known at that time as the " Shoemaker Ranch," it being 
owned by Judge Shoemaker of Blackfoot. While living here I received 
my first lessons in cowboy life as well as the art of trapping beaver. 
We had been on the ranch but a short time, however, when "Dud" 
informed me that he had "thrown up his contract and was going to 
quit the ranch." This, again, threw me upon the world with my wife 
and two little boys. 

Two days later I was in Blackfoot City talking with the post- 
master, Joe Warren. In the course of our conversation I made 
known my condition. Mr. Warren said he had a good log house on 
a ranch down the river and placed it at my disposal. In a few days 
we moved from up the river fifteen miles above Blackfoot to down 
the river about five miles below that town. There was only one log 
cabin now between our house and the confluence of the Snake and 
Blackfoot rivers. At the point at which we lived the rivers were two 
miles apart. Along the Snake river there was a heavy growth of syca- 
more and cottonwood timber. 

The cabin in which we lived, if still standing, will be found to 
contain six rooms, one built against the other. Doorways were cut 
from one room to the next. In early days Mr. Warren had built a 
toll bridge across the Blackfoot river at this point. He had erected 
a large log barn, and in his six-room house kept a supply of goods 
such as trappers, miners, cowboys, soldiers and Indians had need for. 
He also bought furs, gold dust, grain, vegetables and other products 
of the land. 

In the very early days of Idaho Joe Warren's place was known 
for hundreds of miles. He was the justice of the peace, and as such 
was authorized to perform marriage ceremonies. 



SYMBOLISM 



Being an illiterate man he had little regard for the English lan- 
guage and his marriage ceremony was unique if not the only one of 
its kind. In one of his six rooms Joe kept an excuse of a bar for the 
dissemination of "wet goods," and it was his wont to seal a trade or 
bargain of any kind by treating or being treated. 

Marriages, of course, were few and far between on account of 
the great scarcity of the female sex ; when a marriage did occur cow- 
boys, Indians, trappers and miners for many miles around would con- 
gregate to witness the ceremony. 

The company having gathered in the large Common room, so 
called on account of the large fireplace, Joe would stand the bride and 
groom in the center of the room. Taking the hand of the bride he 
would place it in that of the groom and addressing himself to her 
would say: 

"Do you take this man to be your husband?" After receiving the 
customary timid "Yes, sir," he would then address the groom : 

"Will you take this woman to be your wife?" Upon an affirm- 
ative reply being made he would say, "Well, then, I pronounce you 
man and wife, and if any fellow says you ain't he's a damn liar. Let's 
take a drink." 

We spent the winter of 1884-5 in this log house. The first work 
I did while there was to help an Indian, by name "Rube," to build a 
log hut, receiving as pay five sacks of potatoes. 

We had as a near neighbor J. N. Stevens, prominent in that coun- 
try because he owned a store in Blackfoot and was also a Commis- 
sioner. 

Mr. Stevens one day told me he intended to have some wood 
chopped down on the "bottoms" of Snake river and said he would take 



4 SYMBOLISM 



all I could chop at $2.00 per cord. Seeing in this an opportunity to 
at least make a living for my family I eagerly accepted the offer. 

The snow was very deep in Idaho that winter, ten or twelve 
inches on the level; however, none fell in that vicinity to "lay on" 
until about the middle of January. 

On account of the sparsely settled condition of the country every 
man went armed, not because there was any real danger, but there 
was much imaginary danger from Indians and wild beasts. 

The timber on Snake river where I labored was about two miles 
from our house. Provided with rubber boots to wade through the 
deep snow, a Winchester rifle, a 45 Colt's revolver, and my dinner 
pail and ax I set out every morning just before day for the timber. I 
was young, strong and athletic and have never enjoyed a winter any 
more in my life. 

The first three days of my wood chopping were industrious 
ones; I enjoyed the solitude of the woods, naturally supposing my- 
self to be the only man on the river bottoms for many miles. 

The fourth day of my new work found me doing some investigat- 
ing; I thought to "look around" a little and study the locality. I had 
only gone down the river about a quarter of a mile, following an old 
channel, when I was greatly surprised to discover a small log cabin 
ensconsed in a cluster of willows. The rear of the cabin butted 
up against the bank so that it might be taken for the entrance to a 
tunnel mine. 

Judging from the surroundings the occupant had not been there 
long; yet the cabin did not have a "new" appearance; again it did not 
seem old. From the side on which I approached I could see no win- 
dow. My first impression was that it must be the entrance to a 



SYMBOLISM 



gravel mine. This thought, however, was dispelled when I discov- 
ered a small bit of chimney projecting above the rear roof. I thought 
I could discern a faint streak of blue smoke ascending from it. My 
first impression was one of disappointment: for had I not supposed 
myself to be the only person on the river that morning? The sun 
was shining brightly, there was not a cloud in the sky, the thermometer 
was 5 degrees below zero. I had felt within myself that I was nearer 
to God than I had ever been in all my life. 

The little structure was so hidden by willows that not until I was 
within twenty feet of it had I discovered it; so my contempla- 
tion was at short range. A wash pan, turned bottom side up on a 
stump just outside the door, told me the cabin was occupied. Think- 
ing to make the acquaintance of my new neighbor I approached the 
door. 

A short strap hung through a hole that had been burned through 
the door. Just above the strap were two words characteristic of front- 
ier life. They had been burnt into the door : "Come in." I pulled 
the strap, and as the door swung open the long, lean, gaunt figure of 
a man slowly arose from a rude bunk made of poles covered with cedar 
boughs, blankets and fur skins. There was hardly room enough 
for him to stand erect between the dirt floor and the ceiling. In a 
rather stooping attitude, with hands hanging limp by his side he faced 
me, and in smooth and mellow tones he said : 

"Brother Pottenger, I believe? Good morning." 

"That is my name," I replied; "but you have the best of me in 
knowing it; I do not remember ever having seen you before." 

"What matters it? We are neighbors and ought to be friends," 
he said; at the same time he pointed to> a chair before the fireplace. 



SYMBOLISM 



This piece of furniture was so constructed as to do double duty, either 
as a chair in which to sleep or one on which to sit. He replenished 
the fire and, as I occupied the only chair in the house, sat on the 
floor with his back against the chimney. The side of his body next 
to the fire was very close to it; so close, in fact, that I momentarily 
thought his clothes would ignite. He did not seem to mind the heat 
in the least, notwithstanding I had to move my chair farther back in 
order to be comfortable. 

He was glad of my company; this I saw and mentally resolved 
to learn all I could from him. With this object in view I began to 
question. What was his name? How long he had lived there? 
What was his business ? And was he a miner or trapper ? I had seen 
none of the working tools of either profession lying around, though I 
thought if he were the former he might be "laying off" for the day 
on account of the weather. He answered all my questions satis- 
factorily until I asked why the river upon whose pebbly bed we were 
then sitting was called the " Snake river/' Immediately a new light 
shone in his black eyes. Taking a pebble from the mantel over the 
fireplace he handed it to me with the very surprising reply: "Read 
your answer in that and, if its language is foreign, then turn your 
eyes within/ ' 

I took the pebble and at once saw a beautiful specimen of the 
moss agate in which the Snake river abounds. But the mute pebble 
spoke not a word. I turned to* my host with a questioning look. 

"Man has within him the key to the process by which he may 
know all there is to know," he said, looking at me with his black pene- 
trating eyes. I felt he had spoken a truth, the immensity of which I 
could not then comprehend. I felt, too, that those same words either 



SYMBOLISM 



had befallen my ears once before or that they were to be repeated to 
me some time in the future. I felt they were big with prophesy and 
the truth. 

Seeing- my perplexity the stranger took the pebble and said, "I 
called you 'brother' when I addressed you a while ago because I recog- 
nize that the source of your life and mine are the same. Coming from 
the great city of Chicago — the acme of civilization — as you have re- 
cently, and now finding yourself in such surroundings as these I am 
not surprised that you should be astonished at finding a man of my 
appearance thus speaking to you; but, my brother, there is noth- 
ing strange in life; and there are no secrets in nature beyond man's 
ability to find out, because he has within him the key to the process by 
which he may know all there is to know. 

"This pebble is a world. 

"It is full of life. 

"The source of its life is the same as that from which you and I 
draw our life. 

"It will speak to us in its own language and tell us the history 
of this river, but in order to understand it one must be able to read 
the soul of things. 

"It is a fractional part of the river. 

"It is also a fractional part of this world and in that sense has 
for its source the same origin as your body and mine. 

"This river's bed is made up of pebbles that seemingly lie so close 
together that there is no space between them, yet that space is filled 
with life, real living entities. 

"This world of ours is only a pebble among other worlds — also 
pebbles — and the space between is not a vacuum only in so far as it 
contains no matter or earthy substance. 



8 SYMBOLISM 



"The iron forming the beautiful tree, you see in that crystal was 
once held in solution and was free; it is now held by atomic attrac- 
tion in that form. It has its counterpart in millions of pebbles and 
the tree you see pictured there is the image of trees on other worlds. 

"As the body of the individual is the medium, or vehicle, through 
which the individual mind or spirit expresses itself, so the universe in 
its entirety is the body or medium through which the universal mind 
or spirit of God finds expression. 

"By universe is meant not only the world upon which we live, 
but the sun and the entire starry heavens. 

"As there are organs in the physical body having a special pur- 
pose, so there are worlds and systems of worlds in the great universal 
body performing special duties. Indeed, planetary systems have their 
special molecular construction the same as special organs and parts of 
our bodies have particular atomic and molecular make-up. For in- 
stance, the atomic and molecular construction of the planet Mars is no 
more similar to that of Saturn than the atomic and mol- 
ecular construction of the heart is similar to that of the liver. The 
heart could not perform its function of contraction and dilation if it 
were composed of the material of which the liver is made. The atoms 
of matter that enter into the composition of the bones of our bodies 
could not possibly do duty as a part of the eye. The vibrations of the 
atoms of which the bones are composed are too low. A collection of 
bone atoms in the eye would soon cause ossification of that organ. 

"The spirit or mind of man acts through all of the parts and 
members and organs of which his body is composed. He is glorified 
in and through them. As they respond to his will he is joyful. 

"Worlds and systems of worlds are only atoms compared to the 
universe of infinity. 



SYMBOLISM 9 



"This world of ours, while appearing large to us mortals, is 
only an atom in the grand make-up of the universe; only one of a 
cluster that forms a group, and this group has its place and function to 
perform in the great universal whole the same as the heart has a 
function in our bodies. 

"Worlds, suns and systems have their individual personalities 
and consequent influences, just the same as human beings have their 
personal and individual influences among their kind. 

"That which we can comprehend with our physical senses, such 
as seeing, feeling, etc., may be called the physical universe. We can 
see the sun, moon and stars with our natural eyes because our physical 
eyes can record the vibrations of light emanating from those bodies. 
We can see, feel and touch the physical bodies of our fellow being be- 
cause our bodies can record the vibrations emanating from their 
bodies. 

"Their bodies and ours are made up of the same materials 
as the planetary bodies. The materials of which our bodies are made 
must forever remain with the planet, that is to say, we cannot take 
from one planet to another our physical bodies any more than the 
heart can incorporate within itself the atoms of matter belonging to 
the liver, as the life principle in the atoms composing the liver would 
not permit them to respond to the life principle of the heart. 

"In fact, disease is the result of the unnatural incorporation of 
atoms into portions of the body where they do not belong and for 
which they are not specially fitted, by education or drill, through long 
and successive experiences in the worlds of mineral, vegetable and 
animal. 

"There is not a bone, muscle, tendon, fiber or organ in the human 



io SYMBOLISM 



body but has its counterpart millions of times in the kingdoms below 
man. 

"There is not an atom of matter in man's physical body but is 
teeming with life ; and if it could be seen by our natural eyes it would 1 
be discerned to be radiating a light, and at some place in the starry 
expanse of the universe there is a sun, the light from which exactly 
corresponds with the light in that atom. 

"Matter, then, is intercepted light and maris physical body be- 
comes a battleground for the elements of matter. 

"So long as man's soul, mind or spirit can govern his body, or 
so long as his will or intelligence can keep life in it, just so long can 
man have mastery over so-called death, evil and sin. 

"This world of ours is now rushing through space at the rate of 
about 60,000 miles per hour. A railroad train speeding over the coun- 
try at 60 miles per hour is in our estimation a wonder; with its jing- 
ling and jarring it soon shakes itself to pieces, but its speed is noth- 
ing compared to that of the earth; yet we have mentioned only one 
motion of the earth, that of its forward motion around the sun. There 
are many other motions belonging to it, such as its oscillating, back 
and forth motion or vibration, then its axial vibration. Everything of 
which the earth is composed has all these vibrations; the granite, 
porphyry, sandstone, slate, coal, marble — all have this general vibra- 
tion belonging to the earth; then in addition to the general vibration 
of the earth they have their own individual life. 

"Each stratum of the earth's crust emitting a different light; 
each and every metal singing a different song. 

"Visit your rolling mills and smelters and watch the process of 
raising the vibrations of these metals and minerals and stones. 



SYMBOLISM ii 



"See how, by the application of heat their atomic construction 
is changed, and the fay of light that was intercepted millions and 
milllions of years ago becomes liberated and that which at one moment 
is cold matter, passes from the crystal to the molten condition, then 
from the molten by the application of more heat, into the gaseous or 
ethereal state. It is now no longer visible. The life that was impris- 
oned has been set free. We do not see it because our eyes do not 
record its vibrations. 

"Man's physical body is a machine recording the vibrations 
emanating from the sun, moon and other planetary bodies. Not so, 
however, his mind or spiritual body. 

"No one will deny to man a mind, yet we cannot with our physi- 
cal senses see it. We cannot handle it. 

"We know man thinks, yet we cannot see his thoughts nor weigh 
them. 

"We know man has a spirit and a will, yet it is beyond his power 
to confine the will or circumscribe the spirit. 

"Man's physical body is a reflection of his mental or spiritual 
body, and just so the physical universe, including the sun and the 
starry heavens; they too are a reflection of a spiritual or mental uni- 
verse. Just as real from the standpoint of mind as the material uni- 
verse is real from the standpoint of matter. 

"The mortal man cannot record the vibrations of the mental 
world except through the process of so-called thinking. He cannot 
see the mental world with his natural eyes. If he could he would see 
with his natural eyes the minds of men, and language of any known 
means would be unnecessary. Deception would then be impossible. 

"Man's spiritual or mental body is his polar opposite — his other 



i2 SYMBOLISM 



self — living in a mental universe whose mental worlds, suns and 
systems of suns are as natural as ours. 

"This other self constitutes man's ideals. 

/'Every man has his ideal woman. 

"Every woman has her ideal man. 

"Being- unable, however, to make the divine union or marriage 
(a union of the lower nature with the higher, which simply means 
to recognize one's own conscience,) they take a substitute, and the 
union intended really becomes a separation as the substitute proves 
to be more attractive than the real higher self, or in other words, the 
substitute may prove a stumbling block to soul growth. 

"Then again the substitute may be a light bearer, and a help, a 
true savior to an erring soul. How often in the affairs of man do 
we see men and women forgiving the most heinous crimes in each 
other, and yet neither one is the ideal of the other — only a substitute. 

"Marriage then becomes a symbol of a universal law. 

"It tells us in symbolic language that man has a spiritual na- 
ture ; that his own spirit is his bride. That his bride is just as beautiful 
as his thoughts are beautiful. That she is just as pure and virtuous 
as his thoughts are pure and virtuous. 

"That she is a song bird, or an artist, as he wills her to be. 

"As he cultivates her acquaintance he soon learns that without 
her he can do nothing. She enters into all his joys and his sorrows. 
He talks to her in solitude and she speaks to him on the mountain 
top. She applauds him in deeds of valor and makes him feel the kiss 
of angels when relieving distress. She goes with him into the courts 
of justice and pleads for the erring. When man sins against his 
fellow man she turns her face and weeps, but she does not desert 



SYMBOLISM 13 



him. She protests against every sin before it is committed and while 
not forgiving, she never runs away. 

"Seeing and knowing her substitute she makes no objection be- 
cause she is happy in being the spiritual mother to his children/' 

During the delivery of this metaphysical lecture I had sat in re- 
spectful silence trying to determine in my own mind the sanity or in- 
sanity of the strange man before me. 

He had every appearance of being a perfectly normal man, yet 
there was an air about him of superiority, a something that caused one 
to feel intellectually pygmean beside this man who, by his conversa- 
tion, was proving himself to be a superior sort of personage. 

Thinking, however, that after all he might only be expressing 
the vagaries of a diseased mind I thought to test his sanity by asking 
ai few questions. 

He seemed to have anticipated my mental attitude ; he had stopped 
in his discourse and, now standing as nearly erect as he could, because 
of the low ceil, was eyeing me as though he would search my very 
soul. 

"You speak of other worlds, suns, and systems with a great famil- 
iarity," I said; "perhaps you can tell me something of the life and 
customs of the inhabitants of those orbs?" I had asked the question 
thinking that if he claimed for them a human occupation I would 
know for a surety he was crazy. 

"I should be pleased to tell you of the life on other worlds but 
you would only call me insane and there would be no profit in such 
conversation." 

I again felt the force of his truthful words and arose to take 
my departure, but he gently yet firmly pushed me back into the chair, 



14 SYMBOLISM 



saying, as he did so, "It's a cold day outside and, as you seem to have 
an open mind, I wish to plant therein a few truths which may lie dor- 
mant for many years but at the proper time and place you will give 
them rightful birth and in such manner as will do the world good. 

'"You asked about other worlds a moment ago and I presume you, 
in common with all humanity, think that this world is the only 
one inhabited? If so, disabuse your mind of the illusion, for among 
other worlds this one (terra) is known as the planet of Selfishness 
and Sorrow. You have but to consider the motives that prompt hu- 
manity in anything it does to see the truth in my statement. 

"Every act of every human being is a selfish one. 

"A man educates his children in order that they may be an honor 
to the family name. 

"A loving mother rushes through the burning home to save her 
babe because of her love for it, rather than its love for her. 

"Every sacrifice made by one human in the interest of another 
when reduced to the primitive motive is found to be selfish. 

"Analyze the love you bear for your wife and you will discover 
it to be jealousy, for if you really love her and desire her happiness 
above your own you will permit her perfect freedom in loving and 
doing as she pleases, and it matters not what she does, nor whom, nor 
what she loves. 

"Sorrow is another inherent principle belonging to this planet; 
it comes to every one and to everything. None can escape the tear 
of sorrow. 

"There are other worlds where the inhabitants do not know 
what sorrow, nor pain, nor discord means. 

"They do not ravish nature in any way by cutting down trees to 



SYMBOLISM 15 



make their homes, as their houses simply grow into existence from 
such materials as the thinker desires his home to be made of. It is 
furnished according to his thought and when the owner no longer 
has use for it he simply lets go of it, in thought, and the materials 
go back to their original elements — disappear, vanish. 

"Ask one of those people to take the life of an animal and they 
would not know how to go about the task. They do not know how to 
kill for the reason that they have no idea of death. 

"In order to kill one must believe in death; one must have a 
knowledge of death. One must have hatred in his heart, and above 
all one must be able to express death. 

"They could put life into an inanimate body if it were necessary* 
because they understand the source of life and its manifestations. 

"Upon this old world the people know how to take life but they 
have no conception of how to give it. 

"Every human being, at heart, is a murderer, for he believes 
in death, not only to his fellow animal, but believes in death to himself. 

"If I ask you to give life to a rabbit you are powerless, but if I 
ask you to take its life you know the process. 

"By what right or statute has man to take what he cannot give ? 

"The history of the world is one long record of death." 

I interrupted my host at this point to ask if he believed that the 
works of God were perfect and therefore good? To this he replied 
with new enthusiasm, "Most assuredly all things are good and of God. 
This planet is expressing itself perfectly and as a planet fulfilling its 
every purpose. 

"The highest intelligence possible to be evolved from a cheese 
is a maggot. 



X 



i6 SYMBOLISM 



X 



"The greatest possibilities within a hen egg is a chick. 

"The greatest specimen of evoluted intelligence on earth to-day 
is the human animal. It represents the acme of the earth's labors and 
power. Among principles this world expresses death and it cannot 
express anything else. 

"The object and purpose, then, of this earth is to afford souls 
an opportunity to meet and overcome death. 

"The general of an army was once a member of the awkward 
squad. 

"He can perform the duties of all the officers from corporal of 
the guard to commander-in-chief, because he has filled those offices 
and responded to the life force of the position. He has been identi- 
fied with every step from the lowest to the highest and as com- 
mander-in-chief he includes within himself the entire army. 

"Look at the great army of humanity peopling the earth and an- 
swer why there should be such vast differences in intellectual and soul 
growth. Consider the dense ignorance of those people at the North 
Pole, in Africa, Australia and many other parts of the world, and 
compare them with the intellectual power and soul growth of such 
nations as the German, French, English and American." 

My host then picked up a joint of stove pipe lying on the floor, 
which had theretofore escaped my notice, and standing it on end thus 
addressed me : 

"Suppose you imagine several small tubes attached to the bot- 
tom of this stove pipe and suppose you imagine further that each of 
the tubes be filled with a different colored chalk. Then if pure 
crystal water be turned into the stove pipe it would escape out of the 
tubes and be many colored according to the lining of the tube ? 



SYMBOLISM 17 



"It is the same water that flows through all. 

"So it is with the planets of this universe. They each receive 
the same sunshine but each reflects that life according to its nature. 

"Planets, of themselves, without living entities upon them, have 
practically no influence. 

"Hate has no power except there be an instrument through 
which it may work. 

"Love must have a medium or she starves to death. Give her 
an opportunity and she will people the earth. 

"Every moral, ethical and criminal law has for its source the 
same fount. 

"The love in the tiger's heart that prompts it to feed its young 
on the warm blood of the fawn is the same love that leads the Indian 
woman on to the burning pile of her dead husband. 

"Schools, colleges, seminaries, prisons and penal institutions of 
all kinds, the church, the poorhouse, the insane asylum, all are filled 
with the same love. The saint and the sinner had an equal start 
and both will reach the same goal. 

"Every human soul is a reflector of Divine love. Every world is 
a radiator (by the medium of the life upon it) of the same energy.' ' 

I interrupted again to ask a question, thinking my newly made 
acquaintance was getting tired and would probably sit down, and then 
we could talk of mundane affairs. I also surmised that the nature of 
my question would preclude the possibility of any extended remarks, 
as it might be answered by a simple yes or no. I also- said to him that 
it would be my last question as I was anxious to be going; besides I 
wanted to get by myself so I could think over and analyze what I had 
heard. 



18 SYMBOLISM 



"Is it possible for human beings to go consciously from one 
planet to another?" I asked. 

For a moment he hung his head as if in deep thought, then he 
stepped forward, laid a hand on each of my shoulders and looked 
me long and steadily in the eye. During the process I felt as if I were 
being reviewed for centuries back. It seemed to me as if he had 
gotten hold of my thread of life and was following it to the end 
of time. Then he stepped back, turned his face from me and took an 
attitude of supplication and prayer without kneeling. In a few mo- 
ments he turned to me and his whole manner had changed and I saw 
that he felt a deep sense of responsibility. My question had such 
an effect upon him that I almost wished I could have withdrawn it. 
Finally he turned and said : 

"Do you read the Bible and are you familiar with the Ten Com- 
mandments ?" 

'I do and I am," I replied. 

"Then you know that one of them says, 'Take not the name of 
the Lord thy God in vain.' 

"I do," I said. j 

"You also know that the Bible says, 'Swear not at all' ?" Again 
I answered in the affirmative. 

"I am going to answer your question regarding interplanetary 
intercourse, but before doing so I want to explain the true meaning 
of those two quotations. There are those in the world who, by reason 
of their calling, such as the teacher, metaphysician, the priest, the 
preacher, the medical doctor, gain the confidence of their fellow 
man on the ground that they are doing God's work in the eradica- 
tion of disease, sin and ignorance. They claim a Divine right to 



SYMBOLISM 19 



know your inmost thoughts and demand that you subjugate your 
physical bodies to them. 

"Humanity believes in these professions and the statute books are 
full of laws made in their interest. 

"Any one who uses the name of the Lord to further his own in- 
terests, or who uses this confidence for any other purpose than for 
good is taking the name of the Lord in vain ; that is to say, he is using 
God's power which is the power of faith and love, for no good pur- 
pose and is therefore diverting it from its true course. 

"He who takes an oath or obligation is bound and is not free to 
serve God whenever he may find him. He who is bound by oath to 
church creed or dogma is limited in his investigations and cannot rec- 
ognize humanity as his brother because of this obligation. 

"Therefore if you would be free 'swear not at all.' 

"I find upon investigation that so far you have taken no obliga- 
tions that will interfere with your giving to the world such knowledge 
as may be acquired by you during the course of your sojourn here and 
it is not likely that you ever will." 

The suggestive remarks called to my mind a conversation I had 
overheard when I was a very small boy between my father and a 
brother Mason regarding the probable disposition of Captain William 
Morgan, whose supposed expose of Masonry in 1826 was the cause 
of a new political party at that time. My interesting friend (for so 
I had now cause to regard him) seemingly read my mind for he said: 

"Morgan was never drowned. The teaching of Masonry is that 
of charity, brotherly love, forgiveness. Masonry has never yet created 
the office of executioner. She has never taught revenge. She doe.} 
not claim eye for ©ye, tooth for tooth. 



2o SYMBOLISM 



"There are men who cannot recognize humanity as one grand 
brotherhood, therefore, it is necessary to place some sort of restriction 
upon them. 

"Fear is the best weapon to hold in check man's animal nature, so 
the church holds over the heads of its votaries the fear of eternal 
punishment in order to make them good. Were it not for this fear 
and hold the church has, crime would run rampant in the world. 

"Masonry imposes the most sacred obligation given under such 
conditions as to fill the breast of the candidate with fear everlasting 
should he even think of divulging its secrets. It gives a scientific 
reason for the practice of charity; it demonstrates why we should 
love one another; and by mathematics alone, if by no other means, it 
proves its right as a teacher to mankind. 

"Why should a man be sworn and obligated to love his fellow 
man? 

"Why should a man find it necessary to take oath in order to 
forgive a wrong or practice charity? 

"Why should a man feel that in order to know the secrets of the 
stars and his own soul it is necessary to be obligated ? 

"The church says, 'There is a tree ; there is a man ; there is a bird. 
God made the tree ; He made the man and the bird ; His ways are past 
finding out. Blessed be God.' 

"The church places God afar off and tells man to find him. Ma- 
sonry says, 'There is a tree; there is a man; there is a bird.' Then 
Masonry goes to work and ultimately, by the law of synthesis and 
demonstrable facts, tells why the tree is not a man, and why the man 
is not a bird. 

"The church requires faith only. 



SYMBOLISM 21 



"Masonry demands faith, but advises that to faith be added 
knowledge, reason. It admonishes its devotees of the fearfully close 
proximity of God, rather than his remoteness. 

"The church removes from the individual the responsibility of 
sin, and allows him to elect a substitute to expiate his crimes. 

"Masonry explains how impossible it is to escape the just 
punishment of every impure thought, unkind act or unholy impulse. 
She shows the law of God to the individual and proves to man that he 
is his own creator, his own preserver, his own destroyer. 

"The church permits a man to live a life of crime and allows 
him salvation at the grave. 

"Masonry teaches that the crime becomes a debt and accumu- 
lates interest, by Karmic law, to be paid in suffering of its kind. 

"The church lives in and deals with time only. Masonry, by her 
symbols, teaches that time is a factor of matter and that the present is 
eternity. , ' 

I was intensely interested in the argument of the man before me, 
although I knew nothing of Masonry. I was, or rather had been, a 
member of the Baptist Church; I had always found it impossible to 
harmonize all the teachings of the church. I could not bring myself 
to believe that God could or would create an adversary superior in 
power to himself, as it seemed to me his Satanic Majesty was. 

His references to Masonry were most pleasing, for my first im- 
pressions in life were of my father's Masonic Apron and Sash ; how I 
used to steal into his private office and, taking the beautiful Apron 
from its hiding place, I would tie the strings around my body just 
under the arms and stand in front of the large mirror, first with the 
Apron on and then the Sash. If I put them both on at the same 
time, the Sash covered up too much of the Apron. 



22 SYMBOLISM 



I recalled the admiration with which I, as a child, had studied 
and wondered what all those beautiful pictures meant. The All-See- 
ing- Eye, the Square and Compass, the letter G, the two Columns sur- 
mounted with the Globes, the Ladder, the Tiled Floor, the Starry 
Heavens and Clouds ; and then the peculiar construction of the Apron 
also attracted my young mind, and I wondered why there was a three 
cornered flap. 

The lodge room was only a few blocks from our house and was 
over a grocery store. I recalled how I used to coax my elder brother 
to take me down by the lodge room so I could hear the Masons sing. 
My respect for Masonry, therefore, was more than is carried by the 
average person, and I was ravishingly hungry for any light that might 
be given me regarding my early questionings. 

Judging by his manner and conversation that he must be a mem- 
ber of the craft, and still thinking there might be a soft spot in his 
brain, I secretly resolved to question him and perhaps through the 
"soft spot" some "inside" information might be gained. I had read in 
my father's old "Masonic Review" so much about "the word"' that I 
wanted light on that subject particularly. Recalling the old saying, 
"Fools and children tell the truth," I fixed my eyes upon his and 
with a rather daring tone and inflection to my voice I asked : "Are 
you a Mason?" 

"I am," he replied. 

He did not volunteer any further information and I was at a loss 
to know how further to proceed. Growing desperate I asked with per- 
haps more of the challenge in my voice than in the previous question, 

"What is a Mason?" 

"A builder." 



SYMBOLISM 23 



"A builder of what?" said I. 

"A temple, " he replied. 

Then recalling the practice of laying corner stones and dedicatory 
services I again asked: 

"To whom is the temple dedicated?" 

"To the living God/' he answered softly and with reverence. 

"Whence does the Mason get his materials?" 

"From the Universe." 

"Why cannot we distinguish a Masonic temple from other build- 
ings?" 

"Because all architecture is Masonic and there can be no distinc- 
tion." 

I realized I was not getting what I wanted. I had expected my 
newly formed acquaintance only needed a start and he would unwind 
but he seemed to be economical of words all at once and I again sought 
light by asking : 

"I understand that in Masonry there is a word, the possession 
of which brings great power?" 

"Yes." 

"Have you the word?" I asked. 

"I have," he answered. 

I felt now that I had gotten to the fountain I was searching for : 
I also felt that I had only to ask this peculiar man the vital question 
and then I should be in possession of that which I had for so many 
years longed ; still there was a guilty conscience within me that told me 
I would better get the word or information I sought in the same man- 
ned my friend had obtained it. I felt I had not earned what I was 
asking. It seemed to me that I should like to retrace but, having 
started, I persisted by asking, 



24 SYMBOLISM 



"Will you give it to me?" 

"You have it," he said. 

"You lie," I said, quick as a flash, and oh, how I did wish I could 
have recalled those words; but they were out and said before I knew 
it. Then he turned questioner. 

"Did you ever speak the universal, eternal truth?" 

"I believe I have on a few occasions." 

"Mention one." 

"I said to my wife this morning that I would be at home for 
supper." 

"That is not true. Give me another instance." 

His reply frightened me, for there was but one thing that would 
prevent my eating supper that night with my family and that was 
death, and I began to speculate how I could make my words true, and 
him a liar. My desire for "light" was now about gone, and my con- 
viction sure that this man was crazy and fully intended to do me 
harm. Seeing my discomfiture he smiled and said : 

"Come, give me another instance of when you spoke the eternal 
truth." 

"My father years ago asked me just before retiring one night 'if 
I had slopped the hogs/ and as it was my daily work and I recall the 
circumstances now, I am positive I did slop the hogs that particular 
evening, and I am also quite positive that I spoke the truth when 
answering him." 

With a merry twinkle in his eye he replied. "And I can with 
equal truth tell you, that you lie. Now brother Pottenger let me ex- 
plain a little the enigma into which we seem to have gotten. You will 
eat supper with your family to-night. You did swill the pigs, but 



SYMBOLISM 25 



your actions there and your acts to-night were for time and not for 
eternity. If you should return to your old homestead you, no doubt, 
would find the scene changed. 

"The pigs have disappeared ; the old stable and pig-pen have per- 
haps given way to newer buildings; the family that gathered around 
the hearth that night have been dispersed, and never again during the 
ilfe of the world can the same conditions be reproduced as existed at 
that time. No picture of your surroundings that evening would be 
perfect except it contain all the factors to the minutest detail. Do 
you think it possible to again reproduce the circumstance of that even- 
ing?" 

"I do not," I replied. 

"Do you think that what you eat at supper to-night and the 
process of eating and the surroundings of the meal will eternally 
exist?" 

"I do not," I answered; "and I am not yet convinced that I have 
not spoken the truth in the two instances referred to." 

"Yes," he said; "you have spoken the relative truth but not the 
eternal truth. The chair you sit in is changeable. It is destructible 
and therefore is not eternal. The mental picture of the chair will re- 
main in the mental atmosphere of the world long after the chair ceases 
to be, just the same as you can now recall the circumstances of the 
evening when your father asked you the question regarding the pigs. 

"There is a mental or spiritual atmosphere of the world just the 
same as there is a material atmosphere. 

"The mental atmosphere extends away from the earth and 
reaches to the mental atmosphere of other worlds, thus making it pos- 
sible for communion between worlds but the interchange is mental 
and not physical. 



26 SYMBOLISM 



"There," he said, pointing to a broken plate lying on a box, "is 
a spoonful or so of black sand (and he took a small horse shoe magnet 
from his vest pocket) ; "take this magnet, hold it underneath the plate 
and you will see it influence those particles as though they had life." 

I did as bidden and found he was correct; that the magnet did 
cause the particles to move. I was surprised at this for I had supposed 
that china and glassware were non-conductors. He noticed my sur- 
prise and said : 

"If the plate were wood, cork, India rubber, isinglass, in fact, any 
non-conducting substance for electricity, the magnet would influence 
them just the same; and if magnetism can pass through and between 
the particles composing that plate without disturbing their molecular 
construction, what, in your opinion, would be able to stop thought? 
and yet thought is a coarse material substance compared with soul. 

"I shall not attempt at this time to inform you of the difference 
between matter, spirit, and soul, but sufficient to say that soul only is 
eternal; and he who can unite spirit, soul and body, and then speak 
or act from the standpoint of soul, whatsoever he doeth is done for 
eternity, and whatsoever he sayeth is not only true but it is eternally 
true." 

Lowering his voice and pointing his finger at me in a sort of 
bantering manner he asked, 

"How would you like to be able to speak and express eternal truth 
the rest of your life?" 

"Nothing would afford me more pleasure," I replied. 

Immediately his whole frame seemed filled with a new fire and 
the atmosphere of the cabin became stifling as he fairly hissed through 
his teeth, — "Then you would be the most dangerous and destructive 



SYMBOLISM 27 



man in the world. If you had the power to speak eternal truth and 
you should say to a man 'be damned' he would be damned throughout 
eternity and there would be no changing his condition. 

"If you should say to a sick person 'be thou made whole or clean,' 
he would immediately recover and his recovery would be permanent. 

"If you had the power to speak truth from the standpoint of soul 
you could command the world to dissolve and immediately it would 
disappear. Truth is a most fearful and powerful weapon. He who 
would express truth assumes a most stupendous responsibility. With 
your human passions and desires, if you had the power to speak the 
truth you could command nations to be annihilated. You could com- 
mand the sun, the moon and stars." 

I interrupted the speaker at this point to ask the following ques- 
tion, — 

"You say there is a mental atmosphere; please tell me what you 
mean?" 

"Just what I say, and that mental atmosphere is filled with forms 
just the same as the world of matter is filled with material forms. All 
forms exist first in mind, then in matter, and when the material form 
is destroyed the mental form still lives. 

"Principles take form and present themselves to the human mind 
in the shape of symbols." 

"Do you mean to tell me," I said, "that if I should write a book, 
or an essay, I would simply be externalizing that which already exists 
in the universal mind?" 

"You have it," he replied. "We all have two minds, one the mun- 
dane or imperfect mind, the other the celestial or perfect mind. 

"One knows in part, the other knows all, and as the perfect or 



28 SYMBOLISM 



celestial mind penetrates and interpenetrates the world of matter 
without its presence being known (to the latter), just the same as 
you saw the magnetism penetrate the dish without disturbing the atoms 
of its construction, so the soul is present in a still more attenuated 
form and equally unknown to both mind and matter. The earth is a 
huge magnet with two magnetic poles, but there are many nodal points 
or magnetic centers which cause the ocean currents and other phe- 
nomena of nature. Cities, towns and hamlets are magnetic centers on 
the mental plane and there are highways of thought between these 
cities just the same as there are ocean currents connecting one point 
of land with another. 

"The earth is one great ball of quivering life. The strata and 
seams of metal in the earth are its veins and arteries. 

"Telephone, electric and cable wires are grand highways for the 
spirit of fire to travel from point to point and find expression through 
human brain. The spirit of fire is known among the ancients as 'Sala- 
mander/ Fire is life to it as meat and potatoes are to you." 

Again I interrupted my host to ask a question, feeling sure, how- 
ever, that if he were a sane man on most subjects he certainly was in- 
sane to believe that fire could be food or life under any circumstances, 
for so far in life I had never known of fire to be anything but an agent 
of destruction, and to change the trend of his thought I essayed to ask 
the following question : 

"You remarked awhile ago that 'matter was intercepted light and 
that man's physical body was a battleground for the elements of mat- 
ter/ I will be obliged if you will explain that statement." 

"Your question is in line with the subject I was just treating," 



SYMPOLISM 29 



and as if my question had not broken in upon his trend of thought at 
all he proceeded : 

"The sun is the source of all life. Fire is nothing but liberated 
sunshine; the tree locks up the sunshine in its cells; then when that 
sunshine is liberated heat is the result. 

"If you apply heat to water you liberate the sunshine and it is 
called steam, and as such is a powerful agent. Salt will not burn ; it is 
therefore watery and will assume a liquid condition. It will not freeze 
and is therefore fiery. 

"It is by nature a crystal and is therefore earthy. 

"Salt may be said to contain the three elements of fire, water and 
earth. It is the neuter element in which the two polar opposites, fire 
and water, unite. 

" 'Undine' is the name of the spirit of water ; 'Salamander' is 
the name of the spirit of fire; 'Gnome' is the name of the spirit of 
earth. 

"Man's physical body has heat (fire), moisture (water), salt 
(earth), and wherever these elements are there may be found also the 
life or spirit of those elements; and as fire and water are bitter ene- 
mies, forever striving to exterminate each other, you can readily see 
how man's physical body is a battleground for the warring elements of 
nature. 

"Were it not for salt fire would consume the earth. Were it not 
for water, salt would crystallize everything into its steely embrace and 
there would be no life. Were it not for the presence of fire, salt 
and water would lie down together and never express life. 

"Eternal rest would be the result. 

"The foundation of Masonry is the infinite North, East, West and 



30 SYMBOLISM 



South. The materials of which her temple is builded are the eternal 
elements, fire, earth, air and water, and the Mason himself is the soul 
of the universe. He is not limited in his expression to one planet, nor 
to one system of planets, but during the early stages of soul-growth 
progress may be slow and limited to the narrow confines of one solar 
system. 

"You cannot take your physical body from this planet, because 
it is a part of the planet and the world needs every atom belonging to 
it. You can, however, go in thought or spirit to other worlds. 

"It is not a profitable thing to attempt, however, to visit other 
worlds alone ; under the tutorship of an experienced soul it may be ac- 
complished, but not without its attending dangers at all times. 

"There are souls whose knowledge of vibratory law permits them 
to express themselves on the different worlds. When the conditions 
require an extraordinary impetus, when there is a great work to be 
done, a master equal to the occasion appears. The nature of the work 
will determine the nature of the appearance. 

"Sometimes a master has but a single message to give, and he 
gives it to the open receptive mind of a boy in the field through the 
medium of a flower that attracts the youngster's attention as he stops 
in his play to ask the flower the source of its color. 

"If it be necessary, an interplanetary soul may take on the physical 
form, appear in a neighborhood, and for a time take an active interest 
in the affairs of that locality, then, when its work has been accom- 
plished, disappear as unannounced as it made its appearance. 

"But in order to build a body and clothe it, the soul must be a 
master in fact of the elements composing that world. It must be 
able to attract in due form and regular order the materials necessary 
for its natural manifestation among men. 



SYMBOLISM 31 



"The metals and crystals of earth would have no special attrac- 
tion for such a soul, for having the power to control gold by his will 
he would not wrong a fellow human for the possession of it. 

"Being united within itself and sexless, all humanity would re- 
ceive the same kindly feeling from such a soul ; every woman a sister, 
every man a brother. 

"The medium by which information is carried from one planet 
to another is soul, and as there is in the soul realm no diversity of 
tongues, the knowledge that is transferred from one planet to another 
must be by means of symbols. You are a symbol and you have 
within you the key to the process by which you may know all there\ 
is to know." 

"Jumping to my feet I exclaimed, "If what you say is true then 
it is provable." 

"Yes," he said, "prove the truth or falsity of what I have said 
by making a personal application of every symbol presented to you. 

"Ask yourself what there is in you to correspond to the symbol. 

"Nature works in purpose, not in vain." 

I bade my new found neighbor a hearty good evening, for the day 
was about spent. I said not a word to any one of the strange man 
on the river bottom and a few days afterward, feeling that I had a 
little spare time, I thought I would call on my neighbor, so I again 
sought his abode, but to my utter surprise and disappointment I 
could not again find the location of the cabin, nor could I find any 
tracks in the snow showing where any one had come into the timber 
or gone out. All that winter I went daily to the woods and frequently 
took little hunting excursions through that portion of the river bot- 
tom where the cabin had stood but I never found any trace of my man. 



32 SYMBOLISM 



I was young and ambitious, the future then seemed bright to me, 
and my mind was filled with earthly affairs rather than occultism; 
gradually the incident of the strange man in the cabin became simply 
a pleasant memory. 



SYMBOLISM 33 




DIVINE TRUTH 

CHAPTER II. 

A Search for Truth — To Know Truth One Must Be Truth — 
What a Symbol Is — How the Ancients by Means of Sym- 
bols Have Perpetuated Their Knowledge oe Universal 
Laws — The Church, Freemasonry and the People Each 
Entrusted With a Duty — Only the People Have Been 
True to the Charge — The Bible oe the Ancients Is To- 
Day a Plaything and Known as a Pack oe Playing Cards 
— The Discovery oe America and Development oe the 
United States Precludes the Necessity oe Longer Keep- 
ing Secret the Real True Nature oe This Sacred Book oe 
Symbols — Beauty oe Symbolism. 

The above Masonic symbol is a pictorial reproduction of the signet 
worn by King- Solomon. 

One of several interpretations is: "I search for divine truth." 

With this as our motto we begin these pages, and invite the reader 
to peruse this book. 

Truth has no authority, no substitutes. In order to fully com- 
prehend Truth we must become that Truth. 



34 SYMBOLISM 



We may apprehend the duties of a king or a president; to fully 
comprehend them we must fill the office. 

We may apprehend the remorse of a felon in his cell; to fully 

comprehend it we must have committed his crime and have suffered 
his conviction. 

We may apprehend the advantages and disadvantages of being 
rich ; in order to comprehend we must be rich. 

A symbol is not the thing symbolized, but needs interpretation. 

A symbol is a substitute for the thing behind it. 

Paphus, one of the many great mystics of the past, declared that 
just before the world was plunged into that wonderful mental and 
spiritual abyss, known as the Dark Ages, there were three -universal 
methods employed for the transmission of wisdom from one genera- 
tion to another. Those old sages knew that the world was about to 
enter upon an epoch of sensuality of such magnitude that fraternity 
and fellowship would be almost, if not entirely, obliterated. They 
knew of the triune nature of man, that he possesses a spiritual body, 
and that it is governed by fixed spiritual laws. I quote from the 
"Tarot of the Bohemians," by Paphus translated from the French by 
A. P. Morton and published in 1896 in London by George Redway: 

Analysis has been carried in every branch of knowledge as far 
as possible and has only deepened the moats which divide the sciences. 

Synthesis becomes necessary; but how can we realize it? But 
the use of synthesis had been almost entirely lost. Among the ancients 
knowledge was only transmitted to men whose worth had been proven 
by a series of tests. [The same conditions are supposed to prevail to- 
day.] This transmission took place in the temples under the name 
of Mysteries, and the adept assumed the title of Priest or Initiate. 
However, when the Initiate found that a time was approaching when 
these doctrines might be lost to humanity he made strenuous efforts 



SYMBOLISM 35 



to save the Law of Synthesis from oblivion. Three methods were 
employed : 

i. Secret societies; a direct continuation of the mysteries. 

2. The Cultus; a symbolic translation of the higher doctrines 
for the use of the people. 

3. And last, the people themselves became the unconscious 
depository of the doctrine. 

The Arabs, Alchemists, Templars, Rosicrucians and Freemasons 
form the western chain in the transmission of occult science. A rapid 
glance over the doctrines of these associations is sufficient to prove 
that the present form of Freemasonry has almost entirely lost the 
meanings of the traditional symbols, which constitute the trust it 
should have transmitted through the ages. 

The elaborate ceremonials of the ritual appear ridiculous to the 
vulgar common sense of a lawyer or grocer, the actual modern rep- 
resentatives of the profound doctrines of antiquity. In fact, Free- 
masonry has lost the doctrine confided to it, and cannot, of itself, sup- 
ply us with the Synthetic Law for which we are seeking. The task 
of the religious sects was the development of the philosophical and 
metaphysical aspects of the doctrine. Every priest of an ancient 
creed was one of the initiates ; he was fully aware that but one religion 
existed, and that the Cultus merely served to translate this religion 
to the different nations according to their different temperaments. 

The Christian and the Mussulman were the cause of the total loss 
of the secret doctrine which gave the key to Synthetic Unity. 

The Jews alone possessed no longer the spirit but only the letter 
of their oral or Kabalistic traditions. The Bible written in Hebrew is 
marvelous; it contains all the occult traditions, although its true sense 
has never yet been revealed. Every cultus has its tradition, its book, 
its bible. These teach those who know how to read them the unity of 
all creeds, despite the difference existing in the rituals of various 
countries. To him possessing the key, all bibles reveal the same 
doctrine. It is useless, however, to search for this doctrine among 
the western creeds. The sages suffered no illusions respecting the 
possible future of the tradition which they confided to the intelligence 
and virtue of future generations. Moses had chosen a people to hand 
down through succeeding ages the book which contained all the science 
of Egypt; but even before Moses, the Hindu Initiates had selected 
a nation to hand down to future generations the primitive doctrines 
of the great civilizations of the Atlantides. 

The people have never disappointed the expectations of those 
who trusted it. Understanding none of the truths entrusted to them 



36 SYMBOLISM 



they carefully abstained from altering them in any way, and treated 
the slightest attack upon them as sacrilege. Thus, the Jews have 
transmitted to us intact the letters forming the cipher of Moses. 

It was a great thing to give the people a book which they could 
adore, respectfully, and always guard intact, but to give them a book 
by-means of which they would be enabled to live was yet better. 

The people entrusted with the transmission of occult doctrines 
from the earliest ages were those of the Bohemian or Gypsy race. 



THE GYPSIES. 



The Gypsies possess a bible which has proved their means of 
gaining a livelihood, for it enables them to tell fortunes; further- 
more it has been a perpetual source of amusement, for it enables them 
to gamble. Yes ; the game of cards called the Tarot which the Gypsies 
possess is the Bible of Bibles. It is the book of Thoth Hermes Tris- 
megistus, the book of Adam, the book of the primitive revelation of 
ancient civilization. Thus while the Freemason, an intelligent and 
virtuous man, has lost the tradition; while the priest, also intelligent 
and virtuous, has lost his esoterism, the Gypsy, despite both ignorance 
and viciousness, has given us the key which enables us to explain all 
the symbolism of the ages. 

We must admire the wisdom of those Initiates who utilized 
vice and made it produce more beneficial results than virtue. The 
Gypsy pack of cards is a wonderful book. This pack, under the 
name of Tarot, Thora, Rota has formed the basis of the synthetic 
teachings of all the ancient nations successively. In it, where a man 
of the people sees only a means of amusement, the thinker will find 
the key to an obscure tradition. Louis Claude de St. Martin, the Un- 
known Philosopher, finds written in it the 'mysterious links which 
unite God, the universe, and man*. 

It is not the purpose of the writer to show how by easy and nat- 
ural stages that old and "scientific religion of the stars," known to 
and practised by the Atlantians, degenerated into the hundreds of cults 
and isms, (including Sun Worship and the great Phallic religion), 
practiced, it seems, in almost all parts of the earth. 



SYMBOLISM 37 



It is not difficult to see why the church and the secret orders 
should lose their virtue. We have but to consider the selfishness, fear 
and ignorance of mankind to receive an answer. Spiritual, as well as 
material progress, moves in cycles and waves. Centuries of time are 
required, in many instances, for the return and fruition of a single 
law. It was necessary that spirituality sink to its lowest ebb that it 
should rise to the highest pinnacle in another direction. But before the 
Priest lost his virtue and the Mason his wisdom, the eternal truths of 
the universe were anchored on earth, and the chain has never been 
broken. 

****** 

With the discovery of the Western Continent and the birth of 
the United States there disappeared further necessity for withholding 
the truth from mankind. The pendulum of truth, fraternity and 
virtue is swinging toward the other extreme, Truth regarding Na- 
ture's laws and those laws of man's own salvation is being slowly but 
surely revealed to him. It may cost the lives and existence of nations, 
but the law of the Lord is perfect and will be fulfilled. 

The sacred trust and power confided to the church and fra- 
ternities have been shamefully abused; under pretense of giving re- 
ligion and knowledge the people have been intentionally misled, but 
nature will right all her wrongs. 

Previous to the establishment of the United States there was no 
country where man could worship God according to the dictates 
of his own conscience. All public learning and knowledge was col- 
ored and twisted to suit the purposes of the politician and priest. The 
politician, working through fraternal orders, determined the destiny 
of the nation. His chief ally has ever been the people's spiritual 



38 SYMBOLISM 



adviser. Indeed, these two have always worked hand in hand ; not, in- 
deed, for the dissemination of truth, but to conceal it. They knew 
full well that when wisdom and virtue filled office and directed the 
affairs of man they would be forced to abdicate. Knowing their 
claims to virtue and knowledge were false they would not and could 
not unmask themselves. Not having the truth they could not reveal it. 

The office and power of politician and priest depended upon 
the ignorance and credulity of the people ; hence, to keep the people in 
ignorance, substitute knowledge was given. It was the work of the 
Priest or spiritual teacher to keep the people in ignorance while the 
Politician levied assessments, collected taxes and administered af- 
fairs of government. Of course, governmental affairs were admin- 
istered first in the interest of the politician, and then the church. 

Between these two the people have been prevented from know- 
ing the truth. If, by the operations of the Laws of God and the uni- 
verse, a soul should be born which knew the truth and had the courage 
to express it, they cried with one voice : "Crucify him, crucify him." 

Whenever a soul has ventured into the realm of truth and has 
dared make known his discoveries, the earth seemingly has opened 
and swallowed him. Even the great Swedenborg was obliged to ab- 
breviate his descriptions, although he is contemporary with the present. 



BEAUTY OF SYMBOLISM. 

All nature is one vast symbol, a sort of kindergarten into which 
the soul of man is projected to make his own observations, and to 
study himself as he may see himself reflected through Nature's mirror. 



SYMBOLISM 39 



The word hypocrite has been handed down to us from that re- 
mote past when religion was taught by means of theatrical troupes; 
the actors not being allowed to appear in public unless wearing robes 
and masks with which to conceal their identity. They were called 
hypocrites, signifying "not what they appear to be." The priestly 
robes of to-day, may they not be a remnant of that age ? 

The title "father" as applied to the priesthood had its origin 
among a people who practiced the Phallic (sex) religion. The Phallic 
religion seems to have been practiced in all parts of the world; evi- 
dences and remains of that peculiar belief have been found in nearly 
all quarters of the globe. True Phallic stones have been discovered 
in abundance in all parts of North and South America; the western 
parts of North America being especially prolific. At the time when 
this was the prevailing religious belief, the priesthood wielded such 
power over the people that it became a custom of the priests to bless 
everything. The people were taught that the tilling of the soil — the 
sowing of the seed, the harvesting and garnering of the grain — all ag- 
ricultural operations — were only to be sanctified by the blessing of the 
priest. Enterprises of all kinds, public and private, must receive the 
attention of the priest in order to be approved by the divine spirit of 
God. This divinity was supposed to manifest itself through the sexual 
organs. 

Monuments, exact images of the male organ, were erected in 
public places. Numerous cunning devices were resorted to by priest 
and politician in their religious and political teachings, all with an eye 
single to perpetuating their hold upon the confiding people. Indeed, 
the ignorance and faith of the people were so imposed upon that the 
belief that a maiden must be blessed and fertilized by the priest before 



4o SYMBOLISM 



she was fitted to meet the bridegroom in marriage relation became 
firmly established. Being fertilized by God, her progeny would, of 
course, be blessed, and as every bearing womb was thus dedicated to 
God so humanity would become blessed. Thus may be traced the 
origin of priestly vows of celibacy, of chastity, of silent meditation, of 
purity of mind, body and soul, imposed upon the candidate for priestly 
honors. The origin of the appellation "father" is made fearfully clear. 
It is a canon of the Roman Catholic Church that the Pope of Rome 
is a direct descendant of God through St. Peter. God being the 
father of the race and the Pope His earthly representative, the latter 
is called the "Holy Father." The priesthood of that church being His 
children logically they are entitled to the same appellation. The title 
"father," as applied to the priesthood, however, dates back to the 
period in this world's history when that portion of the earth now sur- 
rounding the north pole was the equator, the period preceding the 
world's change of polarity or axis. 

This is written in no spirit of disrespect for the spiritual teachers 
of to-day. The writer believes them to be, as a class, honest, consci- 
entious workers, who, like the rest of humanity, are looking at and 
contemplating the letter instead of the spirit. They, like their fol- 
lowers, are worshiping the symbol instead of the principle. It is a 
pure case of the blind leading the blind. The people and the priest 
think they have hold of the life, whereas really, they have only the 
symbol of the life. And while the symbol is grand, glorious — even 
sublime — and capable of much good, it is not to be compared in 
grandeur, sublimity and simplicity with the real truth itself. 

The immaculate conception, lowly birth, ministry betrayal, 
crucifixion, all, are symbols of the laws of nature, and are applicable 



SYMBOLISM 41 



to each and every individual. In fact, the entire story of Christ is a 
history of the individual soul of mankind; sooner or later, every soul 
does for itself and humanity just what Christ did. 

The works and life of Christ can be reduced to three points : 

1. His recognition of God as the universal spirit permeating 
all things : the source of all life, light and substance. 

2. He recognized himself as the son-child or part of that spirit, 
made in its image and likeness. 

3. He recognized humanity collectively and individually as at 
one with himself, therefore at one with God, thus making God, the 
Universe, and man, one. 

If this be true, how can there be any room for controversy, be- 
tween good and evil ? 

Where is there any evil ? 



4 2 SYMBOLISM 



a 




HUMANITY A UNIT 

CHAPTER III. 

"I and My Father Are One" — "Ye and Me Are Brothers" — "If 
I Be Raised Up I Draw All Men Unto Me" — These Quota- 
tions From Christ Are Simple Truths Applicable to 
Every One — We Are All Saviors; We Are All Judases — 
They Are Symbolic Expressions of Laws Operating With- 
in Every Person — Every Man a Prophet; Every Man the 
Fulfillment op a Prophecy — All Are Criminals; All Are 
Executioners — Past, Present and Future Blended Into 
the Eternal Now — The Assassination op Lincoln, Gar- 
field and McKinley Laid at the Door op Humanity's 
Thought — The United States a Light-Bearer to the 
World. 



HE SPOKE TO THEM IN PARABLES (SYMBOLS). 

"I and My Father Are One." "Ye and Me Are Brothers." "If 
I Be Lifted Up, I Draw All Men Unto Me." 
Every child is the embodiment of the hopes, aspirations, de- 
sires, fears, sins, failings, successes of its parents, i. e., every child is a 



SYMBOLISM 43 



reflection of the mentality of the father and mother at time of con- 
ception. In its make up it is father, mother, plus itself ; thus the two, 
male and female, uniting and giving their life or lives to the third, be- 
come one, and in this one they are perpetuated. Hence this one was, 
in the past, two. 

Allowing twenty years for a generation and taking a retro- 
spective view, we see that the two, (each having two parents) twenty 
years past were 4. 

Those 4, 40 years previous, each having two parents, were 8. 

Those 8, 60 years previous, each having two parents, were 16. 

Those 16, 80 years previous, each having two parents were 32. 

Those 32, 100 years previous, each having two parents, were 64. 

Those 64, 120 years previous, each having two parents, were 128. 

Those 128, 140 years previous, each having two parents, were 
256. 

Those 256, 160 years previous, each having two parents, were 
512. 

Those 512, 180 years previous, each having two parents, were 
1024. 

Those 1024, 200 years previous, each having two parents, were 
2048. 

Those 2048, 220 years previous, each having two parents, were 
4096. 

Those 4096, 240 years previous, each having two parents, were 
8192. 

Those 8192, 260 years previous, each having two parents, were 
16,384. 



44 SYMBOLISM 



Those 16,384, 280 years previous, each having two parents, were 
32,768. 

Those 32,768, 300 years previous, each having two parents, were 
65,536. 

'Those 65,536, 320 years previous, each having two parents, were 
131,072. 

Those 131,072, 340 years previous, each having two parents, 
were 262,144. 

Those 262,144, 360 years previous, each having two parents 
were 524,288. 

Those 524,288, 380 years previous, each haying two parents, 
were 1,048,576. 

Those 1,048,576, 400 years previous, each having two parents, 
were 2,097,152. 

If then, the individual of to-day is the embodiment of the virtues 
and sins of over 2,000,000 people in the short space of 400 years, is 
it any wonder that humanity struggles under its load? 

God is always spoken of in the masculine gender. Who gave 
His only begotten Son that the world might be saved from death. And 
this law in nature which requires the father's life that the mother — 
earth — may be fertilized, simply means that the father becomes son 
and the son in his turn becomes father; thus every son can say with 
truth "I and my father are one." 

Any new country, then, like the United States, which attracts 

to itself people from all parts of the world, naturally embodies in its 

make-up of citizenship a conglomerate condition of human evolution. 

It was in 1492, or a little over 400 years ago, that America was 

discovered. Take the two million parentage of the child born to- 



SYMBOLISM 45 



day and scatter them over the face of the earth and behold, they 
would represent all conditions of humanity, such as statesmen, 
philosophers and philanthropists. They would also include the great- 
est scientists, the greatest criminals, the lowest degree of intelligence 
and the most abandoned indolence. By extending this calculation about 
iooo years, or to the beginning of the Christian era, it will be seen 
that the child born to-day has within it the potentiality of all the peo- 
ple in the face of the earth. Thus the great Teacher, when he said, 
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me," 
gave expression to a very simple truth. Every soul, then, is a re- 
deemer of humanity, every soul is a Judas, and within every soul this 
continual strife for supremacy between good and evil is going on. 

Who, then, can deny his brother, who can say aught against his 
f ellowman, or accuse him of original sin ? 

We see great minds carrying out great enterprises; we admire 
generals for their gallantry; we worship the hero; we applaud the 
artist; we honor the statesman; but each one is the embodiment and 
expression of the hopes, desires, and ambitions of millions gone before. 
Perhaps they are the fruitages of millions of failures in their respective 
lines ? 

On the other hand we punish the criminal ; we point the finger of 
scorn at the human failure whether it be a business or moral failure. 

We despise the harlot, whether it be dressed in male or female 
garb; we shun the drunkard and execute the assasin; yet original sin is 
distributed equally among their parents and ours. They have an 
equal origin with us. How, then, can we say, "I am better than thou ;" 
how can we, on this broad platform of universal fellowship and origin, 
deny our sonship of God and fraternal order of the brotherhood of 
man? 



46 SYMBOLISM 



Reverse this process and look into the future. See how the in- 
dividual of to-day with its hopes and fears, aspirations and desires, 
with its failings and shortcomings and sins and sorrows, breathes into 
its offspring, its self! Four hnndred years hence it will have distrib- 
uted- itself among two million people. Therefore, every individual is a 
culmination of some period. Every individual is the fruit of some 
hour and is the fulfillment of some prayer. 

The Royal Arch Mason will see in this the law and the reason 
for the grand lesson of charity taught him when he himself imitates 
the great Teacher. 

We are all saints — we are all sinners — therefore entitled to our re- 
ward when "right," and to forgiveness when "wrong." Did not 
Christ, true to His character as Mediator, ask forgiveness for his 
persecutors, even though there were included in their midst criminals 
of all kinds and degrees ? As a collective whole, because of having put 
Christ to death they were murderers ; yet he exclaimed with his dying 
breath: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." 
The lesson here taught is one of stern, hard realities. It would 
teach us that any one of us, under the same conditions, under the same 
circumstances, might be guilty of the same offense or express the same 
rvirtue. 

It would teach us to be more charitable to ourselves; to praise 
ourselves more, and to praise God less, realizing that our every act 
has its fruitage either in our own or some one's else life. It unmasks 
the hypocrite and reveals him in his frightful hideousness to his own 
eyes ; by this law he is perforce buried in his own offal. Consequently 
none can say of the Lord, "He is just," or, "He is unjust." Each is 
the arbiter of his own destiny, yet all are interdependent. The concern 
of one is the concern of all. 



SYMBOLISM 47 



Judas the betrayer, he who so loved money that he was willing 
to turn traitor, was as essential to the carrying out of God's plans 
as any of the prominent characters of his day. Without him the works 
of Christ would have been abortive. He betrayed himself, and he who 
will betray himself will also betray his family, betray his nation. Christ 
was true to himself though it cost him his life, yet the result was 
humanity's gain. 

When he saw a martyr riding in an ox cart through the public 
streets, on the way to the guillotine, it was John Bunyan who said, 
"But for the grace of God there goes John Bunyan." 

It is difficult to grant to the criminal the justice of his crime; 
nevertheless he is carrying out — putting into execution — the desires 
of his forefathers. He is quite as much the fruit of the tree of life 
as is the sculptor, the statesman, the general or the poet. 

If humanity never desired the life of a fellow human being- 
there would be no war, there would be no killing, there would be no 
taking of life, there would be no instruments of death nor of tor- 
ture ; but humanity thinks death, torture, and pain, toward his brother 
man. And at some place, at some time, that prayer is answered, and. 
of course only through human instrumentality. 

Scan the classified advertisements in the daily press. Whole 
columns are filled with notices of rates, terms, secret conditions and 
other advantages offered by those who are in the "business" of tak- 
ing the embryonic life for a consideration. Their calling prevents 
them from placing any other value upon human life than a monetary 
one. 

The war general of the past, fighting with primitive weapons, 
wished — prayed, if you please — for a device which would enable 



48 SYMBOLISM 



him to kill whole battalions at one fell blow. He died wishing in vain, 
but has not his mediaeval prayer found fruitage in the invention of the 
machine gun and other implements of modern warfare? 

The patient, persevering, silent working chemist in his laboratory 
seeking to discover some high explosive may be a kind, indulgent 
father, and a virtuous man ; still he is the embodiment of the wish to 
take life. The architect of the modern "man-of-war," albeit a re- 
spected citizen, plans the destruction of nations; in his mind such 
thoughts are realities. He is a destroyer of life on the mental plane. 
The world calls him great and gives him credit for making something 
new — for creating something — yet to say that he is simply "a recorder 
of thought" may, after all, be nearer the truth. If the reader ques- 
tion this truth let him make a record, this minute, of his thoughts 
of the next minute. 

"Those who intensify the force of cruelty in the place where they 
reside may be strengthening a murderer's hand to strike the deadly 
blow in a distant land." — W. J. Colville. 

Ofttimes human desire finds sudden fruitage. To illustrate, a 
mother wishes to be rid of her unborn babe; she thinks murder, she 
prays its life may be taken that she may be relieved of the pain and sac- 
rifice attendant upon birth; she desires its life be taken. She gives 
birth to the principle of murder, and ofttimes her child early develops 
life- taking propensities and becomes a natural criminal. It is unneces- 
sary here to point out the many instances of sudden and unexpected 
fruitage of human desire, in this direction. 

The so-called modern or New Thought that man is a creator, 
is gaining ground rapidly, finding many converts among the highest 
minds in the world. Men of greatest scientific attainment are rec- 



SYMBOLISM 49 



ognizing and adopting the philosophy advanced by this new school of 
thought. While it would seem that man is a God in embryo, still, on 
the other hand, he is an instrument working out the principles and 
plans of his predecessor. However he, in turn, becomes a predecessor 
to coming generations ; in this sense he is a creator. Thus man stands 
between the two great extremes. The eternal past and the eternal 
future are united in the everlasting present. Man stands in the "now." 
The vail between himself and the future is hermetically sealed, the 
book of the past indelibly written. 

One of the prevailing hopes and beliefs of humanity is that when 
we pass into the next world, or after death, we are to meet our im- 
mediate relatives. If this be true, if every soul meet its parent soul, 
we will at once be reabsorbed into the all one. For if I meet my mother 
and father immediately after death, is it not also true that they met 
their father and mother immediately after death and every father and 
mother met their ancestry, and so on, ad infinitum ? 

If all our ancestry had been met at the river of death by their 
immediate ancestors then surely the eternal past is merged into the 
immediate present. We prove the truthfulness of this by the fact 
that we have but little interest or love for our ancestry beyond the 
grandparents. It is our immediate father and mother, brother or sister 
whom we expect to meet at the door of the sepulchre. If every son 
and daughter has been met by his own parents it is plain that all of the 
past is now rolled up to the present, and, using the living of to-day as 
media, stretches forth into the future. Thus does man stand eternally 
in the present; now is the only time he has. "All men have my blood 
and I have all men's," says Emerson. 

Camille Flammarion wrote : "A human being dies every second 
upon the whole surface of the terrestrial globe — that is to say, about 



5o SYMBOLISM 



86,400 persons die every day, 31,000,000 a year, or more than three 
hundred millions in a century. In ten centuries thirty thousand 
millions of corpses have been given to the earth; returned to atmos- 
pheric circulation in the form of water, gases, vapor, etc. The earth we 
inhabit is to-day formed in part of the myriad of brains which have 
thought, of the myriad of organisms which have lived. We walk over 
our ancestors as those who come after will walk over us. 

"The brows of the thinkers; the eyes which have looked, smiled, 
wept; the lips which have sung of love; the arms of the worker; the 
muscles of the warrior; the blood of the vanquished; youth and age; 
the rich and the poor alike, all who have lived, all who have thought, 
lie in the same earth. It would be difficult at this day to take a single 
step upon this planet without walking over the remains of the dead. 
It would be difficult to eat and drink without re-absorbing that which 
has been eaten and drunk thousands upon thousands of times already; 
it would be difficult to breathe without incorporating the air already 
breathed by those now dead." 

Who among us, then, cannot also say, "And I, if I be lifted up 
from the earth, will draw all men unto me." 

By the operation of this law the sum total of all human endeavor 
and thought may find expression in one individual, be he poet, sculp- 
tor, martyr, assassin or Christ. The downtrodden and oppressed sub- 
jects of tyrannical rulers have planned in secret the destruction of their 
king. Their plans have miscarried at the time, but who will deny 
that their prayers (the desires of the heart) have found answer and 
fruitage in the brains and hand of a Booth, the aim of a Guiteau or a 
Czolgosz, and that the crowned heads were spared that a Lincoln, a 
Garfield and a McKinley might be substituted. 



SYMBOLISM 51 



"He who would be greatest among you, let him be 3>our servant," 
is a law. None of us would decline the honor of a Christ if we could 
escape the crucifixion? 

Thus every human being is the culminating apex of some line of 
thought ; the embodiment of some desire, some wish, some hope. Who 
among us, then, cannot also say : "And I, if I be lifted up from the 
earth, will draw all men unto me?" 

Nations, like individuals, have their constituent and component 
parts, made up of still more minor parts until finally the nation re- 
solves itself into the individual. The prevailing thought of the in- 
dividual is a prophecy of the destiny of the nation. 

The United States has been peopled by a race who wished to be 
free from despotic rule; who do not believe that one person's birth is 
more divine than another, and therefore that no one has a Divine 
right to rule autocratically ; that in the sight of God all are born equal 
and of right ought to be free. 

The United States is peopled by a race who have recognized the 
law of human equality. She has taken her place among the nations of 
earth as a peace maker. Her enforcement of the "Monroe doctrine" 
and her policy in dealing with the West Indian islands and the Philip- 
pines are living testimony to this fact. As a nation she is simply the 
fulfillment of the hopes, prayers and ambitions of the people of all na- 
tions for centuries of time. 

Previous to the discovery of America and the establishment of 
this government it was impossible to teach the laws of nature on ac- 
count of the strong hold the church had upon the people. As the life 
and prosperity of the church as well as its priesthood depended upon 
the ignorance, fear and selfishness of its votaries it was to the interest 



52 SYMBOLISM 



of the church to kill all desire in the minds of the people to know any- 
thing of the laws of God as expressed in the three worlds of Spirit, 
Soul and Matter, since to do so would be to take from the priest or 
preacher his power. 

'Until the United States was born there existed no nation which 
vouchsafed freedom of speech, of press and of person; it was abso- 
lutely necessary that the laws of God be taught in secret. It was neces- 
sary to impose the most sacred obligations upon the candidate for 
such teachings and to submit him to the most impressive ceremonies in 
order to make the deep impressions necessary to insure safe keeping 
of the knowledge to be imparted. 

Real, all and absolute truth was never revealed in their secret 
lodges ; only a substitute knowledge was given and that only in sym- 
bols, leaving the poor candidate to search for himself for the hidden 
treasure. 

The world is not yet free; America is not yet fully prepared to 
carry the lighted torch of freedom to all the nations. The law is not 
yet fulfilled, but the day dawn is near. 

The necessity for teaching Geometry in secret no longer exists. 

The necessity for witholding the truth on the part of the church, 
as regards the true nature of God, no longer exists. Colleges and sem- 
inaries are too numerous to permit of further delay. 

The seven seals of the Book of Revelation have been broken ; the 
little book that was in the hand of the angel, and which was given 
to John to eat up is the ancient mystic test book of 52 pages known as 
the Deck of Playing Cards. It is the ancient Masonic Bible that re- 
veals the laws of life. Until now it has been sealed up and entrusted 
to the custody of the vicious (?) ignorant (?) and wicked (?) people, 



SYMBOLISM 53 



those ancient brothers knowing that the people could always be trusted 
to preserve a plaything. 

The infant "truth" (spirituality) has been discovered among the 
bullrushes by the side of the river of humanity, and it demands an 
equal chance to grow along with material science. 

Masonry does not evangelize; its members must seek. In this 
respect it imitates Mother Nature who never reveals her charms to the 
indolent and unworthy but from those who seek in faith she with- 
holds nothing. God solicits no one, but responds to every human cry. 

Salvation seeks none, but is open to all. The angels of heaven 
do not go about with warrants to serve. 

Masonry and the church, in imitation of heaven, elects no honor- 
ary members. God and salvation have no favorites. Each and every 
one must earn his bread, his corn, his wine. 

The doors of immigration to the United States are open to all, 
yet seeking and soliciting none. Each is welcome ; each finds a home 
and an opportunity to express freely his own self. 



54 SYMBOLISM 




SUBJECT OP SYMBOLISM 

CHAPTER IV. 

Nature Itself One Vast Symbol — Masonry and Catholicism 
Rich Fields in Symbolism for the Mystic Student — Soul, 
Spirit and Matter Defined — The Christian Cross in Sym- 
bolism a Picture of the Male Organ — The Circle and 
Square a Picture of the Female Organ — How Humanity 
Unconsciously Is Perpetuating the Old Phallic Religion 
— The Bible Account of Noah's Ark and the Two Pillars 
of Masonry Shown To Be a Kindergarten Story of the 
Perpetuation of the Animal Species Through the Blend- 
ing of the Sexes. 

The subject of Symbolism is exceedingly interesting: It inspires 
the spirit of adventure and stimulates the desire for more knowledge 
of the unknown. 

Nature itself is one vast symbol, for back of every object is the 
Spirit or Animating Principle. Therefore, the object is not the thing, 
but the symbol of the thing behind it. The object may perish; the 
principle lives on. Thus every man is a symbol, the embodiment of 
a principle. The principle does not die at the death of the body; it 



SYMBOLISM 55 



lives on and on. Nature presents her symbols to us and adds nothing 
by way of explanation. She is a great school in which each individual 
member divines her lesson from a different standpoint. 

The student of Symbolism will find a rich field for investigation 
in the direction of Masonry by reading such books on the subject as 
may be found in the public book stores. 

Catholicism is another equally rich field that invites the attention 
of the mystic student. The Bible is the monitor of both these schools 
of thought. Both receive their inspiration from the same source. The 
Bible is written from beginning to end in symbolic language. 

After years of study in this fascinating subject, I find my utter 
incapacity to do it justice. 

Let me, first of all, give credit to Mr. Olney H. Richmond 
for having started me on the pathway that leads to unfathomable 
mines of knowledge of mystical nature. 

Mr. Richmond is one of the few great light bearers of the world, 
and in his "Mystic Test Book," published in 1893, will be found a vast 
amount of information that the student of mysteries cannot afford to 
be without. He it was who first proved to me that the deck of playing 
cards was the Sacred Book and was the absolute infallible key which 
would unlock the secrets of the universe. 

Leaves fall and flowers decay but the life-giving force is born 
again the following season, presenting to the student the same symbol 
or form. For convenience of terms call this symbol "Matter" and the 
animating principle "Spirit." 

Back of Matter then is Spirit, and back of Spirit is "Soul." 

Spirit cannot be seen and comprehended from the standpoint of 
Matter, neither can the Soul Realm be comprehended from the stand- 
point of Spirit. 






5 6 SYMBOLISM 



Soul is sexless. 

Spirit and Matter have gender. 

Soul penetrates and interprets all conditions of Spirit and Mat- 



ter. 



Soul is the neutral quality. 

Soul is creative. 

In the Soul realm there is no shadow. 

In the Soul realm there is no symbol. 

It is the firmament. 

In the Soul realm there is but one language; there is no diversity 
of form; there is nothing hidden; there is no such thing as degree of 
goodness. Therefore nationality, race, color and distinction are un- 
known. 

By Soul realm is not meant a place, but rather a condition pos- 
sible for anyone to attain and be conscious of the attainment. 

Many people have glimpses of this Soul realm, but on account of 
the fact that human language cannot express the condition, no one can 
describe it. To describe it by words, either written or spoken, would 
necessitate the use of symbols and the Soul realm cannot be described 
by symbol, as a symbol is not the real thing but the shadow. 

A letter in any alphabet is a symbol of a universal law. A group 
of letters forming a word becomes the symbol of a larger law. 

All rites, ceremonies, and forms are symbolical of universal laws 
(not practiced for the first and only time on this planet, but known on 
other worlds). (See explanation of Chart No. 2.) 

Man is an expression of God and at the same time a symbol 
of what God is. Man worships God and at the same time God wor- 
ships man, for in man God is glorified. As man sees himself reflected 
in his children so God sees in man himself portrayed. 



SYMBOLISM 57 



In the Soul realm we come nearest to God and find there no di- 
versity of tongues. 

The Soul realm is in no special place ; it is everywhere. It passes 
through worlds and suns and systems of worlds without disturbing 
their molecular construction. As the air passes freely between the 
forest trees so the realm of Soul passes freely through our bodies 
without disturbing the atomic construction. We are in it all the time ; 
it is in us all the time. Each is unconscious of tiie other's presence. We 
are never away from it ; it is never separated from us. 

What is true of the Soul realm is also true of the Spirit world, 
Spirit, Soul and Matter, then, are eternally co-existent. 

We say God is the source of all life, yet we cannot conceive of 
life without motion, and where motion is there must be something 
to move; if there is something to move, then the materialist must be 
correct when he declares "all is matter/ ' 

Matter cannot move without something to move it, and if the 
moving power be spirit, mind, or energy, then the other side is correct 
when they declare that "all is Spirit" "all is mind" "all is gravity" 
Without Spirit, matter is dead, dark, cold, and must, of course, be 
in a negative or receptive condition. Thus it being true that Spirit is 
life, light and heat, the former may be said to be the polar opposite to 
matter, but these two cannot unite of themselves. There must be a 
flux, or third element, which can partake of the nature and elements of 
both, and yet be neither one, in which Spirit and Matter can join. Or, 
to put it another way, Soul joins Spirit and Matter together. 

Man functions on all three planes while in the body. (After the 
death of the body he functions on two planes and finally on only one.) 
These three planes, being eternally self-existent and co-existent, can 
best be symbolized by the triangle. 



58 



SYMBOLISM 




But there are many other "threes" for which the triangle might 
and does stand. 

Christ said "Ye and me are brothers," "I and my father are one." 

Then the triangle to the Christian might mean: The world of 
humanity as represented by one side of the triangle, Christ by the other 
side, and God by the third. 

In the building of King Solomon's temple there were three 
prominent personages, two kings and a widow's son. These three 
might be represented by the triangle and mean much to the Masonic 
brother. 

In electricity the triangle may be used to mean the positive, nega- 
tive and neutral qualities of that subtle force. Thus, in the study of 
Symbolism, oftentimes the same symbol will stand for different laws 
conveying to different students entirely different meanings. For in- 
stance, the cross 



conveys to the Christian the idea of Christ being crucified, it means 
torture, and whenever the Christian sees the picture or image of a 



SYMBOLISM 59 



cross cut in marble or carved in wood, he naturally pictures in his mind 
the time when Christ was suspended on the cross ; consequently he as- 
sociates with the picture much pain and inhumanity of feeling. 

To the astrologer the cross means far more than this: he adds 
to his knowledge of the Christian belief a knowledge of planetary 
laws; thus he gives to the cross a double interpretation. 

To the mystic the cross is the picture of the male sex organs 
stripped of all embellishments. 

Two straight lines crossed at right angles cannot possibly convey 
any unchaste thoughts to the beholder? Thus the reader will readily 
see the wisdom of those ancient brothers who preserved for us the wis- 
dom of the ages in such innocent pictures as the cross, circle, triangle, 
and square; yet in these symbols is told the story of creation; how God 
the Father (Spirit) meets Earth (Matter), mother in sex relation. 

Humanity unconsciously is preserving the sacred symbols and 
perpetuating the language in a thousand ways. 

Look at the patterns in your carpets, window curtains, tapestry, 
furniture and all house decorations, and see how prominent is the 
cross, the circle, the triangle, the square. Behold in these the many 
references to the male and female organs, for, be it remembered, the 
square and circle is a picture (to the mystic) of the female organ. 

In no place, however, does humanity perpetuate the union of 
Spirit and Matter so beautifully and innocently as in the building of 
houses of worship, for see, all churches are built square and sur- 
mounted with a tall spire which has a cross at the top. They are called 
"God's meeting-houses" or places of worship. 

Now let us see how beautiful is the study of Symbolism. We 
speak of God as being masculine, "He," and to make the picture of 



6o 



SYMBOLISM 



the masculine principle without being sensual or calling forth criticism 
we have to make a picture of a cross thus 



t 



In the world of Matter there are four universal elements, viz: 
fire, earth, air and water. These elements, being equally distributed, 
can be represented by four straight and equal lines joined together 
thus, 



WATER 



m 

> 

H 
I 



< 



FIRE 

Matter is always being fertilized by Spirit, and is always re- 
ferred to as "Mother Earth." She receives Him, the Spirit or God, 
and when these two ruling elements meet it is a meeting of the 
Gods. 



SYMBOLISM 61 



Join these two symbols together then — the square and cross — and 
we have a very good picture of the modern meeting-house. 

Where Spirit and Matter meet creation is the result, or, if you 
please, salvation, for to create anew is to save from death. In the 
Bible story of the flood the same story is told in different languages, 
the same symbols being used, except in the case of the female symbol 
the circle is used instead of the square. 

A covenant means an agreement between two or more, and when 
the male and female make a covenant or agree to perpetuate, they do 
so in the waters of gestation ; hence the ark or arch of the covenant is 
represented in the Bible story as floating on the water. 

The Crescent is made by "nesting" one-half of the circle within 
the other half thus 



w 



The reader can readily see that if these two halves were not 
"nested" it would be a true picture of the female organ. 




Add to this picture of the feminine principle the picture of the 
male principle and we have 



62 



SYMBOLISM 



W 



Now let us add to these two a third, the "waters" of life and we 



have 




or a boat with a sail up. God caused two of a kind of all his creatures 
to go into the ark (arch) 



r^ 



for the preservation of their species and thus to be saved from death ; 
it is in the waters of gestation that all covenants for the perpetuation 
of life takes place. Thus the story of Noah and the ark is a kinder- 
garten story of the all-preserving power of the God of nature working 
in that grand arch of the Heavens which reaches from horizon to 
horizon in which is all manner of life. 

In Masonry the same story is told in another form. Here "two 
pillars" at the gateway are substituted for the male and female organs. 
The candidate's attention is called to these two pillars and Bible ref- 
erence given, but the real truth regarding the law is never revealed in 
the lodge room. The candidate is left to dig for himself such mean- 



SYMBOLISM 63 



ings as his inspirations may bring-. One of these pillars is a symbol 
of strength, power, majesty; the other beauty, harmony, symmetry; 
between these two the candidate enters the temple. 

Masonry and Christianity are polar opposites, yet both teach the 
same laws and by the same means, viz: Symbols. The Christian 
is required to have faith only, while the Mason adds to his faith 
knowledge. 

Question: What is a Mason? 

Answer : A builder. 

Q. : A builder of what ? 

A. : A temple. 

Q. : To whom is the temple dedicated ? 

A. : To God. 

Q. : What is the difference then between the Christian and the 
Mason ? 

A.: None whatever; both are seeking that freedom from 
limitations of matter imposed upon the incarnated soul ; or, to express 
it in another way, the soul in its human embodiments is constantly 
striving to raise dead, inert matter to a consciousness of life eternal. 
The soul is the master builder ; it alone being sexless can give to mat- 
ter the germ of life necessary to raise "a dead thing" to life eternal. 

The home of the soul has no limitations, but includes all suns and 
systems of suns seen and unseen. 

It has no knowledge of time, as time is simply the measurement 
of moving bodies. 

The Spirit is limited by the solar universe, and the orbit of Nep- 
tune marks the confines of Spirit power of this solar system. 

The home of the body is the earth on which it is born. 



6 4 



SYMBOLISM 



Each sun and earth has its orbit; consequently each has its light 
side and shadow. 

As worlds revolve about their parent suns one half is in shadow 
or- asleep; thus there is always a grand arch in the heavens reaching 
from horizon to horizon. That arch in which the sun is may be called 
the circle of light, the opposite arch the circle of death and darkness. 
If these two great half circles be divided into six equal parts the 
result could be illustrated in some such manner as is represented in cut 
No. i. 




Of course this illustrates the twelve signs of the Zodiac. 

Now if there be added to this picture or symbol the path of the 
sun, or lord, or master, of this great temple, we would have a picture 
like that in No. *2. 




The curved line shows the path of the sun through the twelve 
signs of the Zodiac: its ascension and declination. 

The sun being the Lord of the universe, continually moving from 

*For a more complete explanation of this cut the reader is referred to the "Devil's 
Pulpit," by Sir Robert Taylor. 



SYMBOLISM 65 



sign to sign, house to house, degree to degree, he is constantly convert- 
ing to himself, as it were, the signs, houses and degrees as fast as he 
comes into them. He is always the same, yet on account of the change 
of position, relatively, being nearer to the earth at one time, at an- 
other farther away, these changes bring us a new Lord, who, how- 
ever, is the same Lord with a different influence; consequently he is 
entitled to a new name. Thus every day in the year the Catholic cele- 
brates in honor of some saint or new principle emanating from the 
same Lord. j 



66 SYMBOLISM 



PART IV. 

MORE PREPARATION OF 
THE STUDENT FOR THE 
GRAND LIGHT WHICH IS TO 
BE REVEALED— MORE INTRO- 
DUCTION. 



SYMBOLISM 67 



THE TWENTY-TWO LET- 
TERS OF THE HEBREW AL- 
PHABET ARE, AT THIS TIME, 
INTRODUCED TO THE READ- 
ER FOR HIS CONSIDERATION. 
THE CUTS ARE REPRODUC- 
TIONS TAKEN FROM THE 
"TAROT OF THE BOHEMIANS." 
THE EXPLANATIONS, GIVEN 
BY PAPUS, ARE IN SOLID 
TYPE. 

THE READER WILL GAIN 
FROM A STUDY OF THESE 
TWENTY-TWO LETTERS, OR 
CARDS, A FOUNDATION FOR 
THE LAW OF READING CHAR- 
ACTER BY NAME— EACH LET- 
TER IN A NAME REPRESENTS 
A LAW, A NUMBER AND A 
FORM. 



68 



SYMBOLISM 




SYMBOLISM. 

CHAPTER V. 
TAROT OF THE BOHEMIAN 

THE JUGGLER. 

FIRST LETTER— ALEPH. 






The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and the law it represents 
is well depicted by the "Juggler." From f his hieroglyphic meaning 
are derived ideas of the unity of the principle which determines it, 
man or microcosm. The unity is the meaning of the primitive hiero- 
glyphic. Attentive consideration of the first card of the Tarot will 
give us much light. If we take the first card of the Tarot and examine 
it attentively we will see that the form of the "Juggler" corresponds 
in all points with that of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The 
top of the figure is occupied by the divine sign of universal life 
( OO ) placed upon the head of the "Juggler." The bottom of 
the figure represents the earth ornamented with its productions (see 
The Vegetable Life). Lastly the center is occupied by man himself 
placed behind a table covered with divers objects. The right and the 
left of the figure are occupied by the hands of the "Juggler" one of 



SYMBOLISM 69 



them pointing toward the earth, the other raised toward heaven. The 
position of the hands represents the two principles, active and passive, 
of the great All, and it corresponds with the two columns J akin and 
Bohas of the temple of Solomon and of Freemasonry. Man with one 
hand seeks for God in heaven; with the other he plunges below 
to call up the demon to himself, thus uniting the Divine and Diabolical 
in Humanity. In this way The Tarot shows us the role of the uni- 
versal mediator accorded to man. The "Juggler" holds in the left 
hand the wand of the magi which he raises, and the four great symbols 
of he Tarot are placed before him, namely: the cup, the sword, the 
penticles, the scepter. The four great symbols are placed upon the 
table at random. Man must rule and arrange them. God, Man and 
the Universe are then the three meanings of the first card. 

In our modern, or the common, deck of playing cards of fifty- 
two we have four Knaves or Jacks who correspond exactly hiero- 
glyphically with this "Juggler," for they picture forth the same law, 
namely, that of mediator. In the Christian religion, this law was em- 
bodied in Christ who said, "I and my Father are one, ye and me are 
br others,' ' thus declaring his connection as mediator between the Su- 
preme and Humanity. This same law is also oictured forth in the his- 
tory of Adam. The Biblical history of Adam and his work is here 
set forth in symbol, for be it remembered, Adam was told to "till the 
ground and to cause it to bring forth." The Lord caused all created 
things to pass in review before Adam. Adam gave each its name; 
thus was he in the position of the "Juggler," for the "Juggler" must 
be master of the things with which he juggles. They must obey him; 
they must be subservient to his slightest wish. Therefore, Adam being 
able to name all things, was master of all creation below him. He rep- 
resented the crowning effort of God in that Epoch. The human fac- 
ulty symbolized by the first card is that of the will or conscience. 
The physical body is represented by the earth upon which the "Jug- 
gler" stands. The realm of mind or conscience is represented by the 



7o 



SYMBOLISM 



divine sign of universal life ( OO ) . Man, then, stands between 
these two extremes, so to speak, and every thought must be weighed 
by him before he acts, and every act is the result of deliberation which 
must be sanctioned by his conscience. Thus man is eternally creat- 
ing, building or destroying whithersoever he is tending, whether he 
makes for involution or evolution — both of which laws are indicated 
by the hands of the "Juggler," one of which points up and the other 
down. 




THE HIGH PRIESTESS 

SECOND LETTER— BETH. 






God himself or God the Father reflects himself and gives birth 
to God the Man or God the Son, the negative relatively to his Creator. 
As we have seen, man is the divine receiver, therefore this card of The 
Tarot will express all the ideas of the first card received negatively. 
The first card represents a man standing. This on the contrary bears 
the figure of a woman seated. (This is the first idea of passivity.) 
The man endowed with all the attributes of power was placed within 



SYMBOLISM 71 



the midst of nature (Adam). The woman is adorned with all the at- 
tributes of authority and persuasion (Eve), and she is placed under 
the porch of Isis between two columns (idea of the sacred dwelling of 
the divine recipient). The two columns, like the arms of the "Jug- 
gler," express the positive and the negative. The woman wears a 
triple crown surmounted by the Lunar Crescent. She is enveloped in a 
transparent veil falling over her face. On her breast she bears the 
Solar Cross and upon her knees lies an open book. This is the picture 
of Isis, of Nature, whose veil must not be raised before the profane. 
The book indicates that the doctrines of Isis are hidden but that she 
divulges to the Magi the secrets of the true Kabbalah and of occult 
science. 

It will be seen that associated with the High Priestess is also the 
tiled floor. The white and the black squares is another picture of the 
male and female elements in nature, the black square representing the 
feminine and the white the masculine. Every atom of matter of which 
the earth is formed is either male or female, and as we walk the sur- 
face of the earth we are constantly reminded of this universal law ; and 
the great tyler of the universal lodge has prepared the lodge for 
our introduction and enlightenment. As the earth receives the light 
from the sun and as within the earth are the seeds of all creation, so 
she must be fertilized by the rays of the masculine sun. She (the 
earth) must receive his fire, his life. She must nurture the seed, she 
must bring it forth and bear it anew. As nature responds to the plane- 
tary motions so the High Priestess is crowned with a triple crown ; this 
in turn is crowned by the moon. This is a beautiful way of telling in 
picture language of the three months of gestation. During the first 
three months of conception it is possible to separate the embryo from 
the mother; after the three months (or moon) to separate means 
death. It is at the third month (or moon) that the heart, makes its 
first pulsation. Thus is life established or the connections made be- 



72 SYMBOLISM 



tween the incarnating soul and mother earth — the physical body. The 
open book is a symbol of the fact that Mother Nature, by our deeds, 
writes our life, and it is in Mother Nature that we must look to 
find the secrets of life — the law governing our being. It will be ob- 
served also that in the hands are carried two keys, one of which is the 
key of inspiration, the other the key to deeds of nobleness and of those 
qualities which go to make up progress. It is the key that unlocks to 
us the secrets of our higher nature and spurs us on to a realization of 
a clear conscience which must follow a noble impulse. The other key 
opens to our vision a realization of despair, despondency and all of 
those conditions of the human mind that follow in the wake of a rav- 
ished conscience. Furthermore, these keys are symbols of authority; 
they are symbols of knowledge. One may have the knowledge but 
without opportunity his knowledge will not benefit him. 

Woman is as much a ruler as her brother, man. Her strength 
as a ruler lies in her power to conceive. If she conceives for good she 
will unlock for humanity the secrets of Nature toward evolution. If 
she conceives for evil, then her offspring will sink to the lowest depths 
of degradation and prove the law of involution. It is the principle she 
conceives, and it is principle she will bring forth incarnate as flesh, 
blood and bone. 



SYMBOLISM 



73 




THE EMPRESS 



THIRD LETTER— GIMEL. 



The hieroglyphic meaning of this third letter is the throat ; hence 
it signifies all that encloses — all that is hollow ; a canal — an enclosure. 

The throat is a spot where the words conceived in the brain are 
formed. It is a symbol of the material envelopment of spiritual forms, 
of organic generation under all its forms. Generation is the mystery 
by which the spirit unites itself to matter — by which the Divine be- 
comes human. This symbol therefore signifies ideas of generation, 
of embodiment in all the worlds. 

The human being becomes corporeal in the womb of woman. 
This woman is represented with wings in the center of a radiating sun. 
This represents the idea of spirituality — of the vivified principle of all 
beings. She holds an eagle in her right hand (symbol of the soul of 
life). In the left hand, she bears a scepter. The scepter is in the left 
hand to indicate the passive influence which nature or the woman ex- 
ercises in the generation of beings. She is crowned with nine stars, 
while the moon is placed under her feet. The stars refer to the nine 
months of gestation. The moon under the feet indicates that the 



74 



SYMBOLISM 



waters of gestation (sometimes referred to as the river of life,) are 
under full or absolute control. The eagle astrologically belongs in 
the sign scorpio (sex organs). Therefore it will be seen that the 
nature of the card is constantly referring to that meaning. 




THE EMPEROR 



FOURTH LETTER— DALETH. 






The meaning of the fourth letter (Daleth) is the womb. It 
suggests the idea of an object giving plentiful nourishment and a 
source of growth. It denotes abundance springing from division. It 
is the sign of active creation. This symbol, a man sitting in profile, 
holds in his right hand a scepter (symbol of generation). The man is 
bearded and wears a helmet. He is seated upon a cubic stone which 
bears the figure of an eagle. The man's legs are crossed. Divest the 
body of all flesh, the skeleton would describe a triangle surmounted by 
a cross, ( X ) "domination of the spirit over matter/' 

The helmet worn is a symbol of authority. The long full beard 

shows age, judgment, maturity. Carried in the left hand is a sphere 

surmounted by a cross. This is the symbol of Venus, the Goddess of 



SYMBOLISM 



75 



Love. The cube upon which the man is seated is a symbol of the 
four elements in nature, fire, earth, air, water. 

The entire garb of the man is that of protection; therefore the 
predominating idea expressed by the symbol is that of protection — 
the natural result of wisdom gained by experience. 




3' 



LE PAPE, 



n 



THE POPE 



FIFTH LETTER— HE. 






yu&ti 



The hieroglyphic meaning- of this letter (He) is aspiration, 
breath. It is by aspiration that life is incessantly maintained and cre- 
ated. It is also the mediating principle which attaches the material 
body to the divine spirit in the same way that man unites God and 
nature. He is seated between the two columns of the sanctuary. He 
leans upon a triple cross and makes the sign of esoterism with his right 
hand. The triple cross represents the penetration of the creative 
power throughout the divine, the intellectual and physical worlds, 
which causes all the manifestations of universal life to appear. The 
two columns symbolize the law on the one hand and the liberty to obey 
or disobey on the other. He wears a tiara. Two grown men kneel at 
his feet. One is clothed in red, the other in black. 



7 6 



SYMBOLISM 




THE LOVERS 



SIXTH LETTER— VAU. 



The hieroglyphic sign for the sixth letter (Vau) is the eye. It is 
the eye that establishes the link between the external world and our- 
selves. By it light and form are revealed to us. The dominant idea 
expressed by this letter, therefore, is that of a connection, of a link 
between antagonists. It also represents reunion with all its conse- 
quences. 

A youth, beardless and without a hat, is standing motionless in 
the angle where two roads meet. His arms form a diagonal cross 
upon his breast. Two women, one on his right, the other on his left, 
each with one hand upon his shoulder, point to the two roads. The 
woman upon the right has a circle of gold upon her head. The one 
upon the left is disheveled and crowned with vine leaves. The spirit 
of justice floats above this group in a radiant halo. He bends his bow 
and aims the arrow of punishment. 

To explain the laws symbolized in this letter fully, would require 

a small volume. Briefly told, however, it pictures the constant strug- 



SYMBOLISM 77 



gle going on within the breast of every human being. Man does not 
know how to direct the magnetic currents of the Astral. He is, there- 
fore, plunged in the antagonism of the different ideas, which he can- 
not master. The two columns of the temple of Isis expressing neces- 
sity and liberty are here personified by the two women who represent 
vice and virtue. The future of the young man depends upon the road 
which he chooses. The spirit of justice personified by the blindfold 
Cupid is a profound symbol indicating that if man chooses the path of 
Virtue he will not be left unaided ; but that providence will ally itself to 
his will and assist him to overcome vice. It also reminds us of the law 
that however low we may sink in the quagmires of degradation and 
crime, the angel of peace and virtue is still with us ready to stretch 
forth a helping hand. This is a symbol of the conscience in man — 
of the eternal struggle going on. Every thought is weighed by us be 
fore being acted upon and, whichever way we decide just reward 
awaits us. Punishment meted out to the criminal is his reward. 
Hours enjoyed by the exercise of a clear conscience is also a reward. 
This card symbolizes the fact that wherever man is, whatever his con- 
dition, he cannot escape the all-seeing Eye. 



78 



SYMBOLISM 



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71 


LE CHARIOT 


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THE CHARIOT 



SEVENTH LETTER— ZAIN. 



The conqueror crowned with a coronet, upon which rise three 
shining pentagrams of gold, advances in a cubical chariot surmounted 
by an azure star-decked canopy supported by four columns. Two 
sphinxes, one white, one black, are harnessed to the chariot. The four 
columns represent the four elements in nature, fire, earth, air, water. 
The conqueror who occupies the center of the four elements is the 
man, who has vanquished and directed the elementary forces. This 
victory is confirmed by the cubical form of the chariot. The two 
sphinxes correspond to the two principles, acitve and passive. It shows 
the influence of the creation, in the preservation of the divine fn the 
human, man performing the function of God the creator. 



SYMBOLISM 



79 




JUSTICE 



EIGHTH LETTER— HETH. 



Hieroglyphically this letter expresses a field. From it springs the 
idea of anything that requires labor, trouble and effort. Continued ef- 
fort results in the establishment of an equilibrium between the destruc- 
tion of the works of man accomplished by Nature when left to herself, 
and the preservation of this work, hence the idea balancing power, and 
consequently of justice attributed to this letter. The ideas expressed 
by this symbol are those of equilibrium in all its forms. The woman 
seen full face and wearing an iron coronet is seated upon a throne. 
She is placed between the two columns of the temple. She holds a 
sword pointed upwards in her right hand and a balance in her left. 

Within the crown is the symbol of the sun (©). The 
woman crowned, or, rather, wearing in her crown a jewel of this na- 
ture shows eternal justice meted out to humanity by the universal soul. 
The same law is also pictured forth in the pair of balances held in the 
left hand. 



8o 



SYMBOLISM 





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THE HERMET 



NINTH LETTER— TETH. 



Hieroglyphically the ninth letter represents the roof and sug- 
gests the idea of a place of safety — protection derived from wisdom. 
An old man walking, supported by a stick. He carries before him 
a lighted lamp half hidden by the great mantle which envelops him, 
and a serpent precedes him. Experience won in the labor of life has 
rendered him a prudent old man, and prudence united to wisdom, 
(symbolized by the serpent), will safely lead him to the higher 
level which he is anxious to attain. The arrow shot by the genius in 
the sixth letter has become his support and an effulgent aureole which 
surrounded the genius is now imprisoned in the lamp which guides 
the initiate. This is the result of his prolonged efforts. 



SYMBOLISM 



81 







It) LA RME 0E FORTUNE V 



THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE 

TENTH LETTER— YOD. 

The Wheel of Fortune is suspended upon its axis, to the right the 
Genius of Good ascending, to the left the Genius of Evil descending. 
The sphinx is balanced upon the center of the wheel holding a sword in 
its lion claws. 

The descending Genius carries in its hand a three pronged scepter, 
symbol of Neptune, god of water. The soul of man is baptized in the 
waters of gestation at conception and must control that element or 
perish in the attempt Two serpents are seen at the base of the post 
rising from two boats or canoes which float upon a watery surface. 
This is again a symbol of gestation, and is another way of telling the 
story of Noah's Ark for, be it remembered, in Noah's Ark were gath- 
ered together two of a kind, male and female, of all living creatures ; 
so here the two serpents representing male and female life floating upon 
the surface of the waters of life. The whole picture is crowned with 
the sphinx which embodies within itself the four Genii of the zodiac, 
namely, the Eagle, the Lion, the Man and the Bull, thus bringing 
into one comprehensive glance the entire animal world, also the four 
elements fire, earth, air, water. 



82 



SYMBOLISM 




STRENGTH 



ELEVENTH LETTER— KAPH. 



Two main ideas are expressed by this arcanum, first the idea of 
strength, second the idea of vitality. (A young girl calmly closing tne 
mouth of a lion without any visible effort.) This young girl wears 
the vital sign upon her head. 

This eleventh letter corresponds with the Christ principle as per- 
ceived in the Christian religion. This is a new way of picturing forth 
the strength of law and soul forces accumulated through a life of 
prayer. Whenever the Nazarene was troubled he retired into privacy 
and prayed ; this always brought to him the strength necessary to un- 
dergo any ordeal. It is woman's refuge when in trouble to pray. It 
is also her first thought when all other supports are taken away. She 
finds comfort in prayer. It also removes fear. With fear entirely 
eradicated from our natures we can, like Daniel, face the elemental 
conditions represented in the picture by the lion. Thus the pure in 
heart shall not only see God but walk with Him and fear no evil. 



SYMBOLISM 



83 



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THE HANGED MAN 



99 



TWELFTH LETTER— LAMED. 



Hieroglyphically this letter designates the arm, therefore it is con- 
nected with anything that stretches, that raises, that enfolds — like the 
arm — and has become the sign of expansive movement. It is applied 
to all ideas of extension, of occupation, of possession. As a last sign, 
it is the image of power derived from elevation. Divine expansion in 
humanity is produced by the prophet's revelation, and this inspires the 
idea of the revealed law. But the revelation of the law involves pun- 
ishment for him who violates it, or elevation for him who understands 
it ; and here we find the ideas of punishment, of violent death, volun- 
tary or involuntary. 

The man's hands are tied behind his back and the fold of his 
arms forms the base of a reversed triangle, of which his head forms the 
point. His eyes are open and his fair hair floats upon the wind. His 
right leg crosses his left and so forms a cross. Like the sun placed in 
the midst of the signs of the zodiac our young hero is again suspended 
betwen two decisions from which will spring no longer his physical 
future (as in the sixth letter), but his spiritual future, for be it remem- 
bered, this is the same young man to whom we were first introduced 
in the first letter as the "Juggler" ; again in the sixth lettter, where he 
stands between two contending forces personified by the two women ; 
here he is again presented for our consideration, but this time sus- 
pended between two trees of life which have six branches. The hanged 



8 4 



SYMBOLISM 



man serves as an example to the presumptuous, and his position indi- 
cates discipline, the absolute submission which the human owes to the 
divine. Considered alchemically, the hanged man shows the sign 
of personality ( i ), the Hermetic Grade of the Rosy Cross 
(Eighteenth Degree of the Freemasonry of Scotland). One of the 
signs pi recognition consists of crossing the legs like the legs of the 
hanged man. It is needless to say that the origin and meaning of this 
sign is quite unknown to the Freemasons. 




13 



LA W0"RT 



DEATH 



THIRTEENTH LETTER— MEM. 



The hieroglyphic of this letter is a woman, the companion of men. 
It therefore gives rise to ideas of fertility and formation. It is pre- 
eminently the maternal, a female — the local and plastic sign — the 
image of external and passive action. Creation necessitates equal de- 
struction in a contrary sense; therefore this letter designates all the 
regeneration that has sprung from previous destruction. All trans- 
formation, and consequently death, is regarded as a passage from one 
world to another. The ideas expressed by the skeleton mower are 
those of destruction preceding and following regeneration. The 
skeleton mows down heads in a field from which spring hands and feet 
on all sides as the scythe pursues its work. 



SYMBOLISM 



85 



A natural inquiry would arise in the reader's mind as to why 
this great symbol of death should be associated with woman. In all 
studies of occult science the female is always represented as the re- 
ceiver of light, consequently, compared with light, she is dark. There- 
fore in the tiled floor, the dark squares are feminine, the light ones 
masculine. Our earth receives light from the sun ; it is always spoken 
of in the feminine gender — she. The earth bosom is plowed and har- 
rowed; she receives the seeds of the husbandman, and it is she who 
must bring forth her conceptions. 





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TEMPERANCE 

FOURTEENTH LETTER— NUN. 

The hieroglyphic of the fourteenth letter is the offspring of the fe- 
male, a son, a fruit of any kind — all things produced. This letter has 
therefore become the image of the being produced 0% reflected, the sign 
of individual and corporeal existence. It expresses the production 
of any combination, the result of the action of the ascending or cre- 
ating forces or of the descending or destructive forces figured by the 
star of Solomon. The Genius of the sun pours the fluid of life from a 
golden vessel into a silver one; this essence passes from one vase to 
the other without one drop being spilled. 

The Genius of the sun is referred to by the sign of the sun placed 

on the forehead of the female figure. 



86 



SYMBOLISM 




J5 IE BJABLE "]§ 



THE DEVIL 



FIFTEENTH LETTER— SAMECH. 



In every cosmogony the Devil represents the mysterious astral 
forces, the origin of which is revealed to us by the extending of the 
law back of this fifteenth letter. A little attentive consideration of 
the picture will show us that it contains several of the details which we 
have already seen in other figures of The Tarot, but under a different 
aspect. If we place the "Juggler" by the side of the Devil we snail 
see that the arms of the two personages are using the same gesture but 
in an inverce sense. The "Juggler" opens his right hand toward the 
universe , his left toward God. On the other hand the Devil raises 
his right hand into the air, whilst his left points to the earth. Instead 
of the magic initiating wand of "The Juggler" the demon holds the 
universe, his left toward God. On the other hand the Devil raises 
balanced by him, are two personages reproducing the same symbolism 
that we find in the two women of the lover and in the two supports 
of the gibbet of "the Hanged Man." The universal vivifying forces 
represented by the third letter have here become the universal de- 
dstroying force. The angel's wings have changed into the hideous 
pinions of the God of Evil. The Devil has materialized upon his head 
the universal fluid which surrounded the head of the "Juggler." This 
is indicated by the two six-pointed horns which adorn him. He 
stands upon a cube to indicate the domination of matter over spirit. 



SYMBOLISM 



87 



He wears an apron ; upon it is painted the sign of Mercury which 
in turn is composed of a circle, half circle, and cross or sun, moon, and 
earth. 




FIRE OP HEAVEN 

SIXTEENTH LETTER— AYIN. 

The nature of this letter is the sign of material sense again degen- 
erated. It expresses all that is crooked, all that is perverse and bad. 
It contains an allusion to a material building. It signifies the invis- 
ible or spiritual world. 

This is a beautiful picture setting forth the weakness of man 

when he isolates himself from God by his egotistic thinking. There 

are many sects and individuals claiming divine power for themselves, 

heralding perpetual life, claiming immortality for themselves, and still 

they are able in many instances to fool or deceive many. There comes 

a time when they, too, must obey the eternal laws of God and their 

building, which they supposed was constructed of stone and mortar 

and which they thought was proof against all destructive forces, yields 

to the lightning floods of those superior laws of which they were ig- 



88 



SYMBOLISM 



norant and which destroys them as readily as the minor law forces de- 
stroy less pretentious persons. So when we hear individuals laying 
claim to eternal life in the body we will, no doubt, recall the lightning 
struck tower. 




THE STARS 

SEVENTEENTH LETTER— PHE. 

The seventeenth letter signifies the word negation in nature with 
all its consequences. Two ideas prominently set forth the first, by the 
expansion of astral fluids ; second, by their eternal renewal — the nude 
female figure pouring the fluids of universal life from two cups. The 
Genius of the Sun represented in the fourteenth letter has now de- 
scended to earth under the form of this young girl, the image of 
eternal youth. The fluids which she formerly poured from one vase to 
another she now throws upon the ground. She is crowned with seven 
stars and in the midst of them shines a very large and brilliant cne. By 
her a butterfly rests upon a flower. This is the symbol of immortality. 
The soul will survive the body which is only a place of trial. The cour- 
age to bear this trial will come from above (the stars). This letter 
pictures forth that law which exactly balances the evil effects of the 
preceding one; from it we derive the following signification: First, 
opposition to destruction (no destruction is final: everything is eternal 
and immortal in God). Second, the fall is not irreparable. This is 
whispered to us by the intuition ye name Hope. Third, the visible 



SYMBOLISM 



89 



universe contains the source of its divinization in itself. This is the 
force which dispenses the essence of life, which gives the means of 
perpetually renewing its creations after destruction. 




13 



LA LUNE 



THE MOON 



EIGHTEENTH LETTER— TZADDI. 



A meadow feebly lighted by the moon. The light, the symbol of 
the soul, no longer reaches us directly. The material world is only 
lighted by reflection. The meadow is bounced by a tower on each 
side. The material world is the last point which the spirit can reach; 
it can descend no lower. This is shown by the boundary of the field. 
The drops of blood represent the descent of the spirit into matter. In 
the center of the field a dog and a wolf are baying the moon. A craw- 
fish is climbing out of the water between the two animals. The en- 
tering of the spirit into matter is so great a fall that everything con- 
spires to augment it: servile spirits (the dog), savage souls (the wolf), 
and crawling creatures (the crawfish), are all present watching the 
fall of the soul and hoping to aid in its destruction. 



9 o 



SYMBOLISM 




39 | IE SOLE II. | p 



THE SUN 



NINETEENTH LETTER— ZOPH. 



Two naked children are shut into a walled enclosure. The sun 
sends down his rays upon them and drops of gold escape from him 
and fall upon the ground. The spirit resumes its ascendancy. It is no 
longer a reflected light as in the preceding arcanum, but a direct creat- 
ive light of the God of our universe which floods it with his rays. The 
walls indicate that we are still in the visible or material world. The 
two children symbolize the two creative fluids, positive and negative, 
of the new creature. This letter symbolizes the awakening of the 
spirit, transition from the material world to the divine world after ac- 
complishing the function of God. It also symbolizes the renewal of 
the body by motion. The material world commences its ascension to- 
ward God or evolution. 



> 



SYMBOLISM 



9i 




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I IE JUCEMEJiT] 'n 



JUDGMENT 



TWENTIETH LETTER— RESH. 



An angel with fiery wings surrounded by a radiant halo sounds 
the trumpet of the last judgment. The instrument is decorated with 
a cross. A tomb opens in the earth, and a man, woman and child issue 
from it. Their hands are joined in the sign of adoration. How can 
the reawakening of nature under the influence of the word be better 
expressed? We must admire the way in which the symbol answers 
to the corresponding Hebrew hieroglyphic. This letter signifies : first, 
the return to the divine world, the spirit finally regains possession of 
itself ; second, life renews itself by its own motion ; third, the material 
world progresses one degree in its ascension toward God. 



92 



SYMBOLISM 




5J 1 is fou | ggy 



THE FOOL 



TWENTY-FIRST LETTER—SHIN. 



A careless looking man, wearing a fool's cap and torn clothes, 
with a bundle upon his back, goes calmly upon his way paying no at- 
tention to a dog which bites his leg. He does not look where he is 
going, so walks toward a precipice where a crocodile is waiting to de- 
vour him. This is an image of the state to which unresisted passion 
will reduce a man. This is a symbol of the flesh and its gratification. 
The following verse from Eliphas Levy well explains this symbol : 

"Sorrow lessens in work, not fulfilling a task, 
Woe to the sluggard who sleeps on his way ; 
Like the dog at his heels pain clings to him fast 
If he leave for to-morrow the work of to-day." 

This is a picture of a wise fool. It is a wise man who knows the 
law, but he is a fool who does not do what he knows is right. 
To a greater or less extent are not we all wise fools ? 



SYMBOLISM 



93 




THE WORLD 



TWENTY-SECOND LETTER— TAU. 



The world and nude female figure holding the wand in her hand 
is placed in the center of an ellipsis, her legs crossed like those of the 
"Hanged Man." At the four angles of the card or picture we find the 
four animals of the apocalypse and the four forms of the sphinx ; the 
man, the lion, the bull, and the eagle. This symbol represents macro- 
cosm and microcosm, that is to say, God and creation, or the law of 
the absolute. The four figures placed at the four corners represent 
the four letters of the sacred name, or the four great symbols of the 
Tarot, namely, the scepter, the cup, the sword and the penticle, be- 
tween the sacred word that signifies God. In the center of the figure 
is a circle, or ellipsis, representing nature and her regular and fatal 
course. From this comes the name of Rota, wheel, given to it by 
Guillaume Postel. Lastly, the center of the figure represents human- 
ity. This letter, therefore, contains in itself a recapitulation of all 
previous ones. 



94 SYMBOLISM 



PART V. 

IN OUR SEARCH FOR DI- 
VINE TRUTH WE HAVE 
NOW ARRIVED AT THAT 
PART OF OUR JOURNEY 
WHERE THE GREAT VEIL 
MAY BE PULLED ASIDE AND 
STARTLING TRUTHS RE- 
GARDING ONE OF THE 
MOST COMMON BOOKS OF 
SYMBOLS IS MADE KNOWN 
TO THE READER. ALL PRE- 
CEDING PAGES HAVE BEEN 
DEVOTED TO A PREPARA- 
TION OF THE MIND FOR 
WHAT IS NOW TO FOLLOW, 
AND WITH FEELINGS OF 
REVERENCE AND LOVE 
THE AUTHOR ENTERS 
UPON AN INTERPRETATION 
OF THE DECK OF CARDS. 



SYMBOLISM 95 



PART V. 
CHAPTER VI. 

The Divine Language of the Pack of Playing Cards — As a 
Record of God's Sacred and Inspired Word Its Authen- 
ticity Is Second to None Other, Being Written in a Lan- 
guage Universal, Dealing With the Laws of Soul, Spirit 
and Body — The Four Suits as Emblems Refer to the Four 
Elements in Nature: Fire, Earth, Air and Water — The 
Diamond the Cross of Christ; the Spade, an Acorn; the 
Heart, a Flame of Fire; the Club, a Clover Leaf — The 
Four Kings Symbols of Life and Death. 

The extended consideration vouchsafed the Tarot of the 
Bohemians has been given with a view of introducing to the mind of 
the reader and preparing him for consideration of that book which is 
so well known throughout the world as "the deck of playing cards." 
Sometimes it is called "the devil's prayer book," again, "the devil's pic- 
ture book," "the book of 52," and many other appellations calculated 
to convey to the mind anything but that of holiness. It is unneces- 
sary at this time to produce evidence of antiquity for this little book. 
It is equally unnecessary to produce evidence of its infallibility. But 
to the student of nature and of symbolism who will study this book 
with an unprejudiced mind it is a revelation of those laws governing 
spirit, soul and body. It is referred to in the Bible in several places 
but perhaps the most prominent is in the tenth chapter of Revelations, 
and especially the ninth verse, which reads, "And I went unto the an- 



96 SYMBOLISM 



gel, and said unto him, Give me the little book ; and he said unto me, 
Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be 
in thy mouth sweet as honey;" also the eleventh verse, "And he said 
unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, 
and tongues, and kings." 

I do not wish to shock the sensibilities of my Masonic brethren, 
nor cause my Christian brother to throw up his hands in holy horror, 
but if to tell the truth regarding our deck of playing cards I should 
reveal the "lost word" and open the sepulchre of the living Christ I 
wash my hands of any responsibility. My sole desire is to throw more 
light on this subject which has for ages been buried in the debris of 
the temple of humanity. 

That anything good can come from a deck of playing cards most 
people will question; but I shall not speak of the book as cards but 
rather by a more endearing term, the "little book ;" and let me say to 
the inquiring reader that a close study of the "little book" will furnish 
not only a key to his own soul but will reveal to him Nature, for it is 
truly a key to that heavenly home the whole world is seeking. It is 
the only book written in a universal language ; the only one with which 
prophecies can be made. Every town, village, and community has its 
prophet who uses this "little book" as a means of divination. It is 
the only book a whole world is rolling under its tongue and finds 
"sweet as honey," but let the world once digest its contents and be- 
come acquainted with the laws it reveals and — indeed, it will then be 
bitter. The sweetness referred to is the pleasure derived from the 
unholy use made of this sacred book. 

In order to understand the "little book" let us consider it from 
Nature's standpoint. We will find it is divided into two parts repre- 



SYMBOLISM 97 



sented by the two colors which correspond with the spiritual and 
physical body spoken of in the Bible. They also refer to the two pillars 
at the entrance of the Masonic temple — male and female — called 
Strength and Beauty. 

There are three court cards in each suit ; these represent the three 
universal ruling principles in nature, positive, negative and neutral. 
Every atom and every world has its two poles and equator. These 
three universal ruling forces are represented by the King, Queen and 
Knave. The King and Queen symbolize the positive and negative 
qualities, the knave represents the neutral. 

There are four suits corresponding with the four elemental forces 
in nature, viz : fire, earth, air, and water, but these four reduce them- 
selves to one, and that one is fire. 




a 




* 



HEART QUARTER. 

Fire implies motion, motion vibration, and vibration carried to 
the extreme is light. Hence, as all things move whether in individual or 
in mass, fire becomes the symbol of universal life. 

Nothing can have life except the life come from God, therefore the 
Heart, called the emblem of love, is really a flame of fire. In other 
words it is a picture of a lighted candle and has reference to that 
source of all life, God; hence, it symbolizes childhood, purity, inno- 



98 



SYMBOLISM 



cence and the first quarter of life from birth to twelve years of age at 
which time the man comes to puberty. 



* 



CLUB QUARTER. 



From twelve to thirty man gathers wisdom and knowledge. 

All wisdom comes from above, so the clover leaf is the most fitting 
symbol to represent the summertime of life, it being first to come in 
the spring and last to go in fall, and is universally found the world 
over. It is selected to symbolize universal knowledge. The leaf, per- 
haps, corresponds to the lungs of man; therefore the Club, or clover 
leaf, stands for air, also wisdom. 




DIAMOND QUARTER. 

The Diamond is a symbol of worldly wealth and power. The most 
precious thing on earth is a diamond. He who has diamonds has power 
among men. Man bends all his energy toward getting wealth, and 



SYMBOLISM 99 



from the age of thirty to eighty-four may be considered the fall or 
autumn of life, therefore the diamond corresponds to this period of 
life. There is, however, a deeper and more esoteric meaning to this 
beautiful symbol; it is simply a six sided cube and when opened out 
becomes the cross of Christ. 

The cube has, in all ages, been held sacred. All altars were in 
the form of a cube or double cube. 

The ancients esteemed the double cube as "holy" but the perfect 
or single cube as "most holy." 

In the accompanying cut may be seen the six points of a double 
triangle, which interlaced would produce the six pointed star and in 
the center of the cut is the seventh point. Thus the Diamond, emblem 
of matter and cross of Christ, becomes the Masonic altar with the 
working tools engraved upon it. (Square and Compass.) 

To make this cross proceed as follows : first, make the cube thus, 



<S> 



Fig. i. 
now raise the top side of the cube as though it were the top of a box 




Fig. 2. 

and you have fig 2. Now lower the bottom side of this cube or box 
and you have fig. 3; on the opposite side of face 1 is face 4, 

LcfG. 



IOO 



SYMBOLISM 




Fig. 3- 



drop this down below face 3 and you have fig. 4. There are still 
two other sides or faces to this cube ; these opened out give us the ob- 




Fig. 4. 



lique cross, fig. 5. This is the cross of matter so difficult to carry 
and which Christ himself yielded up in pain and sorrow, for when the 




human soul, (a ray of light), seeks embodiment in matter, the mat- 
ter being subject to the law of crystallization, this cube or diamond is 



SYMBOLISM 101 



simply a picture of the cross or salt crystal into which the soul is im- 
mersed. 

We all desire to be sons of God but the desires of the flesh and 
lusts of the body so encase the souls of men in utter darkness that the 
Diamond card very nicely symbolizes the Biblical expression, "Light 
shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not." 




spade: quarter. 

After we pass the eighty-fourth year of earthly experience we en- 
ter into the fourth and last quarter of life. This transition is ofttimes 
marked by very pronounced physical changes, such as second sight, 
new hair, new teeth ; sometimes a general rebuilding of the body. This 
age is often called second childhood. It is here we enter the last quar- 
ter of life, called the quarter of death. The implement used for dig- 
ging the grave and to fill in the earth after the body has been deposited 
is called a spade and it becomes the symbol of death. In olden times 
there were no round-pointed shovels, such as we have in this day, hence 
this picture must have reference to something in nature; when we 
search nature we find the Spade bears a very strong resemblance to the 
acorn. 

Here again we see how the masters of old have hidden the golden 
word of truth from the vandals and ruffians, for the Spade is not a 
spade but rather the picture of an acorn. 



io2 SYMBOLISM 




and to know what an acorn symbolizes in this connection we have but 
to study the history of an acorn. The acorn dies (falls) from the par- 
ent tree, is buried and rots in order that the germ may grow and come 
forth another tree. We find it has an outer shell, an inner meat, or 
kernel, and then the chit, or germ. The outer shell breaks, disinte- 
grates, decays. The inner kernel or meat supports the germ for a short 
time and it, too, ceases existence. So must the individual man die from 
the parent tree of humanity and lay his mortal body away in the grave 
in order that the spirit and soul may be set free to return again to the 
bosom of the universal one. 

Thus the acorn becomes a symbol of death, burial and resurrec- 
tion, while the Spade speaks only of death and labor. If the "little 
book" has such wonderful truths to tell in so short a perusal, we may 
expect wonderful riches to be opened up to our gaze as we proceed 
with our investigation. 



SYMBOLISM 



103 







We will now consider the four Kings and see what nature has to 
tell us through them. Each wears long hair, full beards and the 
general facial expression shows strength, maturity, judgment. Each 
has associated with him instruments of death, as swords and battle- 
axes. There is a dual meaning to everything in connection with the 
cards, and these implements of warfare speak to us in a beautiful dual 
language. In the first place, however, the Kings represent the male 
principle in nature. Man rules by right of strength and knows no 
law by which he can become master except the law of extermination. 
Every obstacle in his pathway must be removed, forever exterminated. 
Thus the instruments of death symbolize man's ability to subdue. 
They also symbolize man's ability to take life and really picture the 
first stages of human development, where brother is arrayed against 



io4 SYMBOLISM 



brother "even unto death." The history of the world up to the present 
time is one of the sword and battle-ax, for man has only recognized 
the law: of physical might. On the spiritual or higher plane, these 
symbols tell of the higher law which says that the male, or man, in 
order to live must take his own life, not by the cowardly act of suicide 
but by the holy and divine law of marriage, for the male must al- 
ways yield up his life's substance in order that the female may be fer- 
tilized; in doing so he voluntarily takes his own life. God is always 
spoken of in the masculine gender. He gave His only begotten Son 
that the world might be saved from death. This law in nature, that 
requires the father's life in order that the mother may be fertilized, 
simply means that the father becomes the son and the son becomes 
the father. Thus, every son can say with truth, "I and my father are 
One." So, too, every human soul has the same source and each can, 
with equal truth, say, "Ye and me are brothers." In order that the 
race may be perpetuated each man is endowed with generative powers, 
which power is his fire or life ; and in order to perpetuate his kind, he 
is required to give this life to the world of master or mother. Hence 
God as man is forever giving his life; therefore he says, speaking of 
life as symbolized by the battle-ax and sword, "I give and I take it 
away." 



SYMBOLISM 



*°5 







CHAPTER VII. 

Woman a Ruler as Well as Man — Her Power to Rule Being 
the Law of Conception — The Four Jacks Symbols oe the 
Neuter Element in Matter — Also Symbols of the Soul, 
Conscience and Christ Principle — The Attitude of the 
Court Cards Show a Desire eor the Principle Symbolized 
by the Suit. 



We will now consider the four Queens. We notice first the 
entire absence of any implement or suggestion of death. Each shows 



io6 SYMBOLISM 



maturity and judgment. Each wears a crown, symbol of authority, 
showing- that woman is as much a ruler as her brother and as much 
entitled to the throne as he. Their implements of authority are best 
symbolized by the flower carried in the hand of each. This is a beau- 
tiful symbol of life, of inspiration, of desire, of prayer, of hope. It is 
a symbol of the female principle in nature: it is in the springtime, 
when Mother Nature is in bloom, that the husbandmen go forth sow- 
ing the seeds of fertilization. It is in the flower that conception takes 
place : woman conceives, and that which is conceived must be brought 
forth. Hence, woman rules the world as much ns man but her strength 
and ruling power lies in her conceptions, and that which she will con- 
ceive will be like her prayer, her hope, her ambition, her desire. All of 
which is symbolized by the open flower held in the hand. 

All countries honor their heroes. The world has paid tribute to 
her great men — monuments of various kinds, costing immense for- 
tunes, have been erected to men of genius in honor of their deeds of 
valor. But behind each man, behind each hero, behind each genius, 
there stands the mother who sees in her son the fulfillment of her 
hopes, her prayers. Man being the embodiment of principles, and 
as no great principle ever was or ever will be born until it is first con- 
ceived, the four Queens symbolize divine or peaceful conception. 

The female receives the fires of life from the male but the principle 
is of her own conception. Inspiration can be and is exercised by both 
man and woman, hence, the principles symbolized by the Kings and 
Queens belong to both male and female throughout the universe, and 
it is just as natural for woman to conceive death through her thoughts 
as life. Hence she is equally capable of bringing forth either a mur- 
derer or a savior. 



SYMBOLISM 



107 







Before proceeding to the consideration of the Knaves let me call 
attention to the three forces in nature which are universal and in- 
separable. I refer to the planet upon which we life. It has a north 
pole, a south pole and an equator, the poles meeting at the equator or 
neutral point. The neutral is dependent upon the other two for its 
existence. The poles in turn meet at the neutral point, hence, the 
three are one and the one is three. What can be said of polarity as 
applied to the earth can also be said of the atom, for each atom has its 
positive, negative and neutral qualities. 



io8 



SYMBOLISM 




A close examination of the four knaves reveals to us youthful 
faces. They have the court dress and crown, symbolizing the ruling 
principle — symbolizing to us that the neutral principle is just as con- 
stant, just as universal as the positive or negative and yet the former is 
never a fixed principle. It is ever changing, as the positive and nega- 
tive changes. Thus the Knave pictures forth a vacillating, unstable, 
though ever-present, law. In order to more thoroughly understand 
what the Knave represents as applied to human life, let us understand 
that man has a physical and a spiritual body. He has, also, a divine 
spark within him which I will call his soul, or conscience, or Christ 
principle. It is this Christ principle that the Knaves represent. Man 
never sins against God or nature, himself or fellowman, except his 
conscience cries out in protest. 

No two thoughts can be entertained at the same time, so each 
thought must be weighed in the balance of conscience, and this spark 
of divinity will always point out to us the right course: if we refuse 
to act according to its dictate we simply crucify Christ or kill "the 
widow's son/' but as Christ overcame the grave and "the widow's son" 
was resurrected, so, after each putting aside of our conscience by us, it 
comes up again at each succeeding crucial point to be weighed, ac- 
cepted or rejected. Thus Christ stands at the door of every human 



SYMBOLISM 109 



conscience knocking for admission to the human temple of the heart, 
which was builded without the sound of any metal tool, and on either 
side of the entrance thereto stand two pillars, one called strength 
(Man), the other beauty (Woman), and that which unites these two ii 
the neuter or that which is of both and yet is neither one, including 
both within itself and yet is itself. The Knave, then, symbolizes the 
Christ — that principle which is not a fixture, but vibrates between the 
two great extremes. Christ said "I and my father are one," to human- 
ity he pointed his finger and said, "Ye and me are brothers." 

This same principle applies in the world of polities. We find the 
representatives of the people at the courts or throne. They are in the 
world of politics what the Christ is in divine law. Christ revealed to 
mankind the laws of God. He acted as communicator between man, 
the lowest, and God, the highest; so the politician of to-day repre- 
sents the people at the seats of the government and to the people ex- 
presses the desire of the ruling power. He will sell out the interests 
of the people to the throne. He betrays the desires of the ruling power 
to the people and, being unstable and unreliable, he is justly called a 
Knave. 




The Heart card is called such from its rude resemblance to that 
organ. As it is supposed to be the fountain from which all affection 
flows, the Heart is chosen as a fitting symbol of that sentiment called 



no 



SYMBOLISM 



love; but a close study of the picture will disclose that it is a better 
counterfeit of a candle flame, and is really a picture of a flame of fire. 
To the mind of the initiate, when he sees it, this pictured flame of fire 
represents the name of God. We cannot but admire the wisdom of the 
ancient mystics who wrote the name of that principle which animates 
worlds, suns and systems of suns by a picture so simple of compre- 
hension, for when we speak of God we think of that principle that 
names all things everywhere, in the center of the earth, in the bottom 
of the sea, in the heavens above ; wherever life is, wherever vibration 
is, wherever heat is, wherever light is, there God is. Motion, gravity, 
all things, are full of light and these are pictured in the Heart or flame 
of fire. All life coming from God, the Heart is a symbol of universal 
life and love. 

We all love to be loved, we all love to express love. 

We all love life ; love to express life and love ; and this desire to 
express these principles is nicely shown and portrayed by the attitude 
assumed by the three court cards in Hearts, for it must be remembered 
that these court cards are symbols of laws universally operating in the 
mineral, vegetable and animal worlds. See how each one turns the 
face toward the flame of fire, showing a desire for it and longing to 
be one with it. 



^ 






SYMBOLISM 



in 



♦ 



I have already shown how the Diamond is the Cross of Matter 
or the Cross of Christ. How beautifully it tells the story of the in- 
carnation of the soul and of its contact with matter. There is still 
another interpretation to this beautiful symbol. Matter crystallizes 
and, as the most precious crystal on earth is the diamond, it is the 
most desired of all crystals. Man's earthly power is measured by his 
earthly wealth. He who has wealth or Diamonds has greatest power. 
This desire for earthly power is manifest not only in the human fam- 
ily but throughout the entire animal kingdom. Even in the lowest 
order of animal intelligence there is a manifest desire for suprem- 
acy. In the vegetable world there is the strongest tree and the largest 
vegetable. Notice the three court cards in the suit of Diamonds and 
see how fondly each one looks upon the emblem of wealth and worldly 
power. Do not, however, forget that the Diamond is not only an em- 
blem of worldly power but is also the symbol of life, because within 
the crystal is the germ of the light — the soul from God. 






112 



SYMBOLISM 



* 



The above picture is called a Club; just why, it is difficult to ex- 
plain, unless because of its resemblance to the shamrock. It is a very 
faithful resemblance, however, of a universal plant found in the re- 
motest corners of the earth. The first plant to rn^ke its appearance in 
the spring in all countries is the clover. It is also the last to disappear 
at the approach of winter. It is a universal summer plant and was 
chosen by the mystics of old to symbolize the summer time of life, 
since it is in the summer time of life that man gathers knowledge. 
The clover leaf was chosen to represent him from 12 to 30 years of age. 
It not only symbolizes knowledge but wisdom. The latter, a faculty of 
the soul, is gained only by experience. As a symbol of wisdom, there- 
fore, the clover leaf can be said to be a picture language of the soul's 
growth from birth to death. Knowledge, however, is a faculty of 
the mind and may be gained from books, teachers and other sources. 
The latter belong to youth. All Kings and Queens desire to rule their 
kingdom wisely, hence it will be seen that the King and Queen of clubs 





SYMBOLISM 



"3 



look with longing eyes upon the emblem of wisdom. The Knave, 
however, representing youth and vacillation, would hardly be expected 
to desire wisdom : we find the Knave of Clubs turning his face away 
from the emblem of wisdom; but he is shown as "knocking at the 
door." The spiritual nature of this card shows the Christ, or Soul of 
man, the living and eternal divine spirit, standing at the door of con- 
science knocking for admission. 




So man learns by bitter experience to hearken to the voice of silence; 
as he does so he becomes wise and has no desire to crucify his Christ 
nor destroy the architect of his own temple. This wisdom, however, is 
never found in youth, hence the Knave of Clubs is depicted as turning 
his face away from the emblem of wisdom. 




We have seen the Spade is the emblem of death. We all under- 
stand the Spade is the implement with which the grave is dug and after 
the body is deposited the same implement is used to fill in the earth. 
The Spade is a poor man's constant companion. With it he delves into, 



H4 



SYMBOLISM 



turns the soil and searches in the bowels of the earth for the precious 
metals. It is an implement of labor and pictures the humble station in 
life. Associated with the Spade is the idea of labor — drudgery. 

, Notice the three court cards in the suit of Spades and see how 
each of these crowned heads turns away from the emblem of death 
and labor. Here is a mute but universal protest against making the 
journey across the silent river. All nature rebels when asked to give 
up its form of clay. We are promised a resurrection and while know- 
ing that death is as essential as life, yet we turn our faces away from 
the death quarter. This universal protest is beautifully symbolized 
by the attitude of the three court cards in Spades. Even the rocks cling 
to their form with wonderful tenacity, and it requires years of ele- 
mental erosion to disintegrate one dead forest tree. 






SYMPOLISM 115 



CHAPTER VIII. 

King Solomon's Temple and the Human Body One and the 
Same — Diseases of Women the Result of Amorous 
Thoughts Directed Toward Them by Men — The Women 
of America Have Recognized This Law and by Resolution 
Have Declared Against It — Consideration of the Indi- 
vidual Cards — King of Diamonds — King of Spades — King 
of Hearts — King of Clubs — The King of Clubs Wears 
Upon His Breast the Ancient Badge of a Free and Ac- 
cepted Mason. 

Before considering the cards individually I wish to call the read- 
er's attention to the large astrological chart in which the Archetypal 
Man is drawn. It will there be seen that the Heart quarter includes 
the head, neck and arms. This does not signify that the sentiment of 
love is expressed through these organs or parts of the physical body. 
It only means that during the months of April, May and June the 
sun is in that quarter and reflects or sends out the vibrations repre- 
sented by the Heart suit more than by any other suit. The same can 
be said of each of the other three quarters. Why the sun should re- 
flect the principle symbolized by the Heart at this time of year more 
than the principle symbolized by the Club we cannot answer. It simply 
is so. 

By a further study of this chart it will be seen that the Diamond 
quarter includes the reins or kidneys, the sex organs and the thighs, 
while the Spade quarter includes the knees, calves of the legs and feet. 
The Archetypal Man divided by a line drawn from twenty-one degrees 



n6 SYMBOLISM 



of Virgo to twenty-one degrees of Pisces will separate the Archetypal 
Man into two parts. One of these parts will include that half of the 
body from the navel to the feet and the other half from the navel up to 
the head. If now we will look upon the human body as the temple 
of God, "builded without the sound of any metal tool/' we can then 
comprehend what is meant by the accumulation of debris referred to in 
the Holy Book. But people never consider the impossibility of debris 
accumulating during the erection of a building where there is no 
sawing or hammering, yet at the building of Solomon's Temple it is 
claimed there were many feet of accumulated debris in the face of the 
statement that "There was not the sound of any metal tool." Look 
upon this picture of the human temple and we readily comprehend 
that the lower half of the human body is the half that must dispose of 
the waste matter of the body, therefore the lower half may well be 
called the animal half. If man's thoughts never gravitated below the 
waist line or into the animal kingdom, crime, sin and sorrow would be 
unknown. It is the dwelling of human thoughts in the accumulated 
debris of the Human Temple that really calls forth the power of the 
Grand Master. For so long as the thoughts of man and woman are 
directed the one toward the other, above the waist line, just so long 
will images of virtue, peace and prosperity be pictured in their im- 
mortality and just so long will society be free from crime, sickness 
and sorrow. There is a growing belief that sexual diseases or diseases 
of the generative organs, especially in women, is the result of man's 
thought amorously directed toward those parts. Pure sexual thought 
is invigorating; it is adulterous thought that produces disease. The 
lower half of the Archetypal Man, represented by the two quarters, 
Diamonds and Spades, also typifies the law of involution, for it must 



SYMBOLISM 117 



be acknowledged that we cannot have eternal evolution without a cor- 
responding eternal involution. Let the reader then look upon these 
two quarters as representing the going down of the human soul 
through the animal and mineral worlds and in its journey sinking 
lower and lower in its search after light. The human figure depicted 
upon this chart is bent over so that the back of the head touches the 
bottoms of the feet, thus constituting a human circle. If this figure 
should stand erect and bring the zodiacal signs up with it the sign of 
Aries would be at the top and the sign of Pisces at the bottom of the 
column or figure. Thus the human form or figure in the chart repre- 
sents the whole human family, each member of the human body having 
its corresponding zodiacal sign, degree, etc. Each has a language por- 
traying the lessons taught to the human soul in its contact with matter 
and revealing to the student or candidate the lessons of human experi- 
ence. 

Universal thought is fast crystalizing along these lines and we 
may expect the enactment of more stringent moral, if not statutory, 
laws. 

Women, through their power of conception, are far more effect- 
ive law-makers than men. When women raise their standard of what 
men shall be, immediately a better man is conceived, and will there- 
fore be born. 

I quote the resolutions touching this subject adopted at Washing- 
ton, D. C, April, 1905, by the National Council of Women. It will be 
seen that already the statutes have been written and adopted, raising 
the standard of human thought : 

Believing the progress of humanity is best furthered by improve- 
ment of the individual and that the improvement of the individual is 
dependent upon hereditary environment and nurture; be it 



n8 



SYMBOLISM 



Resolved, That the perfection of the home, the institution in 
which heredity is fixed, the first environment of the child formed, its 
first nurture received, should be the object, the solicitude and the en- 
deavor of every man and every woman who loves humanity and 
would serve it. 

Further believing that the home can be perfected only in a so- 
ciety which requires equal personal chastity of men and women and 
confers equal responsibility upon both ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the National Council of Women of the United 
States rejoices in the organization at its fifth triennial of two com- 
mittees which will focus its endeavors upon equal political liberty of 
women with men and equal personal purity of men with women. 

Further believing that what is peculiarly needed to secure true 
family life is far more of plain living and high thinking on the parti 
of the more privileged and a deeper sense of responsibility on the part 
of the citizen ; be it further 

Resolved, That in working these conditions the National Coun- 
cil of Women shall keep in mind that the safety and stability of the 
home, of society and of the state are principally dependent upon the 
character of their individual members. 

We will now take up the construction of the individual cards, be- 
ginning with the King of Diamonds. His place, of course, is in the 




quarter of Diamonds where he is supposed to be absolute monarch. 
The diamond is an emblem of money from a material standpoint; 
hence a king or ruler in this domain must stand ever ready to extend 
the right hand of fellowship to all people. Notice how the King ex- 



SYMBOLISM 119 



tends the open hand to all comers. Sometimes, however, manufactur- 
ers of cards have represented him with the closed hand. The latter 
indicates the miserly king or the individual who accumulates wealth 
and holds it. The open hand symbolizes the liberal king who circu- 
lates his wealth. Both, however, are Kings wearing crowns — symbolic 
of authority. Each has a full beard, showing age, maturity, judgment, 
and the court robes. Each has, however, but one eye; symbolic lan- 
guage signifying that "man cannot serve God and Mammon." It also 
signifies that universal law of concentration, the key to success. 
"Single eye to duty." 

Behind this King of money is the beheading ax. Now the lan- 
guage of this card is, "The right hand of fellowship to all men, but I 
will not spare the beheading ax to get at their money. I will sacrifice 
or cut off the head of my best friend to get his wealth." We see this 
universal law manifested every day in all walks and conditions of life. 
It is more apparent among the churches and fraternal orders. It has 
reference to the man who bedecks himself with the emblems and 
badges of different secret societies and because of his membership 
asks their business patronage. It refers to the one who, because he is 
the member of some church, expects the trade of his brethren. In an 
undertaker's office in the southern part of California the author was 
surprised to see almost the entire wall space covered with certificates 
of membership in various secret societies, showing the proprietor to 
be a member of about all the fraternal orders in existence. He took 
pains to display these certificates for business purposes only. And, 
dear reader, think of his calling, an undertaker; he united himself with 
fraternal orders that he might bury their dead. Surely here was the 
right hand of fellowship extended to all people and the deadly behead- 



120 



SYMBOLISM 



ing ax in the other. To be a ruler, therefore, in the world of money 
one can have no friends aside from self ; and yet one must be a friend 
to all in order to do business. It is said that the love of money or 
earthly power is the only incentive spurring man on to deeds of crime. 
The fact that our candidate has but one eye shows him to be imperfect 
and therefore not elegible to membership in some secret orders. 




How am I going to give the language of this card and not give 
offense, for this symbol hides the truth so completely that it is almost 
beyond unveiling ? It will be seen that the King of Spades also wears 
the crown, long beard, court dress and has two eyes — all of which 
proves the "perfect one." Our Masonic brethren have an implement 
called a trowel with which they spread the mortar of brotherly love, 
but, my brethren, there is a deeper and more sacred meaning to this, 
for both the Spade in the deck of cards and the Mason's trowel sym- 
bolize the same great truth; to discover this sacred secret man must 
go into the heart of his own tabernacle and into the recesses of his 
own soul. Nature, however, reveals freely her secrets to him who 
seeks and knocks with honesty of purpose. So let us tie a cord to a 
small spade or trowel and carry the same twenty-four hours suspended 
from our necks. As we walk among the fields and nature's bowers 



SYMBOLISM 



121 



we will discover that at certain behests of nature man must bury his 
own dead body in mother earth. This is a beautiful symbol to teach us 
the lesson that man must be ever ready to meet death but never court 
it. The two-edged sword held in the right hand of the King of Spades 
is a symbol of that condition of the human soul when it is master over 
the three elements Earth, Water and Fire. 

He has mastered one hundred and eighty degrees of the circle 
of infinity. He is now ready to be born into the circle of light and 
take his place among the selected ones. The spade, being an imple- 
ment of labor and death, he who rules the world of labor must have 
within him those qualities of soul power that make him honored 
among his fellowmen and raise him from the lowest condition of 
human effort to the highest pinnacle of human fame and glory. Many 
instances of this kind are already found in the history of the United 
States where men, often taken from the lowest ranks of life, have been 
placed in the highest position in the gift of the government and the 
people. 




Again we find the crown, two eyes, the court dress and imple- 
ment of death. Again we have before us a ruler of the world. His 
powers, however, while twofold, must be considered this time from 
the standpoint of the Heart emblem. The heart being the emblem 



122 



SYMBOLISM 



of divine love, he who would rule the world through divine love must, 
indeed, be willing to lay down his life under all circumstances before 
sacrificing his honor. See the attitude assumed by the King of 
Hearts : he has one hand on his breast and with the other holds aloft 
the unsheathed sword. The language of this sword is, "Draw me not 
without cause; sheath me not without honor.' ' A king is one who dis- 
penses favors, but this King of Hearts can only give of his kingdom 
— which is love or life. This card, therefore, is a symbol of that uni- 
versal desire. He not only gives love but takes it away; and he who 
can do these things is truly divine. This is he who recognizes the 
Christ within himself and knows that he is the architect of his own 
living temple. He knows that he is one of the three model kings men- 
tioned in connection with the building of King Solomon's Temple. He 
is conscious of his sonship of God and of his at-one-ment with his cre- 
ator. He knows. He is. 




In the King of Clubs we see the Grand Master — the Illustrious 
One who ever sits in the East. The source of all light and wisdom. Let 
us approach his sacred presence with uncovered heads and bare feet, 
for truly this is holy ground below and heavenly light above. This is 
the venerable father whose home is in that sign of the zodiac repre- 



SYMBOLISM 123 



sented by the Virgin. In connection with this sign an old man is 
usually shown as dressing the maiden's hair. He usually has associ- 
ated with him the scythe of Time. We see on the head of the King 
of Clubs the crown of authority. We see the same full beard of judg- 
ment and maturity, two eyes, symbolic of perfection, and the two 
edged sword held in the hand at "present arms." These symbolize that 
this one has also met death victoriously; that he, too, has overcome 
matter; that he has lived to manifest love divine and was not de- 
stroyed by the fires of life (symbolized by the heart) and is now en- 
titled to wear the sacred jewel of universal wisdom. Behold on the 
breast of the King of Clubs a sphere — symbol of infinity. 




This sphere is bisected by a horizontal line. The two halves, up- 
per and lower, represent the two great laws in nature, male and fe- 
male. The horizontal line is intersected by a perpendicular line sym- 
bolizing the descent of spirit into matter, (matter is always repre- 
sented by the horizontal line and spirit by the perpendicular one), thus 
forming a perfect taw cross, as well as producing two triangles which 
interlaced become a six pointed star. When we consider that only 
one half of the sphere is presented to our view we see that the six 
pointed star would represent but half of the crown. We have there- 



124 SYMBOLISM 



fore but to imagine the two triangles on the reverse side to give us a 
perfect crown of twelve points, corresponding with the twelve signs of 
the zodiac or the circle of infinity. Again, each of these triangles 
contains ninety degrees of a circle, and four of them worn on the 
breast show that the wearer has traveled much and found what he 
sought. On the horizontal and perpendicular lines are seven small 
spheres. These seven little spheres are the seven planets of our solar 
system, viz : Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Nep- 
tune. These seven planets, rushing through space at such great veloc- 
ity as they do, each producing a sound or note and a color, and these 
colors and sounds blended into one color or note, reflected to us by the 
sun, give us the source of all color and sound. By our musical instru- 
ments we divide this one note into its seven parts, hence, there are but 
seven full notes in music and but seven prismatic colors. Here, too, is 
the source of all the sacred sevens in the Bible : the seven stars, seven 
spears, seven crowns, heads, vials and cities; also the seven trumpets. 
The seven eyes, seven lamps, seven kings, and seven seals. If these 
seven little spheres refer to the stars and if, as our astrological friends 
say, the stars influence man, what have we to say in honor of him who 
by his wisdom can control his stars and wear them as an ornament to 
his person? 

But see, from this larger sphere there seems to be a bird just tak- 
ing wing or a bud just blooming. In either case it is a symbol of 
freedom. So let me say to all mankind : the language of the King of 
Clubs from an esoteric viewpoint is, "The human soul is divine and 
must have perfect expression. To attain this it must be 
buried in the elements of nature where, by experience, it over- 
comes the dogs of lust and passion and finally masters the dangers 



SYMBOLISM 125 



of darkness. Then it is free to wing its flight or come forth as the 
bloom from the barren stem no longer bound by the laws of mat- 
ter; a perfect soul, grown in power, ready for the spiritual bride or 
the sacred trust of self generation. To be able to regenerate one's self 
at will, this constitutes wisdom, hence a wise man has power over 
material conditions and prepares for himself a bride which is his spir- 
itual nature. (See Masonic emblem of Father Time and the Maiden.) 
He is now free from earthly conditions and takes up his abode in that 
heavenly home where only the pure in heart and spiritually wise can 
dwell. Having made the entire circuit of the celestial spheres, hav- 
ing ruled the world by the power of money, having overcome death 
as represented by the spade; having expressed divine love, healed the 
sick, clothed the naked and suffered as only those can suffer who have 
learned the lesson of charity; having grown wise by experience, his 
much learning and wisdom has ripened into silence, and to his knowl- 
edge he adds virtue. 

The obligations imposed upon the Mason to respect the sister, 
mother, daughter, wife of a brother Mason is necessary to those who 
do not recognize their duty to their own self in the conservation of 
their own life forces. It is necessary that such an oath be administered 
to those who do not recognize all humanity as being members of one 
great fraternity. 

It is necessary that men be restrained from committing the most 
heinous crimes by the imposition of most impressive obligations. 

Men claiming to be "free and accepted" Masons so taken and re- 
ceived by the fraternity, are not free Masons, building temples to the 
honor and glory of God, but are bound men, and are good only be- 
cause of their obligation. 



126 SYMBOLISM 



The really true, free Mason is the man who recognizes and re- 
spects the virtue of every woman as that of his own sister, mother or 
daughter, without being sworn to do so; in whose company any 
woman may dwell and not be afraid. 

The really true, free Mason is the man who sees in every man a 
brother. 

The priest, who is sworn to a life of celibacy and charity is not 
a true son of Christ so long as he refuses to recognize in any of his 
priestly duties even one of God's children. He is filled with fear and 
ignorance, and does not go beyond his obligation to the church. He 
is not a freeman but is a Christian because of his fear, rather than 
his love, of humanity. He sees God afar off, not in his own soul. He 
does not hear the voice of Christ within himself. 

He only hears the voice of the church, that material edifice of 
man, a mere symbol of the true church within himself. 

The badge worn by the King of Clubs is a symbol of that soul 
growth that enables mankind to rule his stars by the power of the will. 
Of course, to rule his stars means to rule his body. 

Such a person is a freeworker or builder among the elements of 
nature, and of course a master builder, therefore G .M. O. T. U. T. 

Reform the world by reforming the individual; make him afraid 
of himself, rather than afraid of an unknown, unprovable deity or 
devil. 

Change the appetite of the individual for knowledge rather than 
drink, and saloons will close their doors. Give to men real knowl- 
edge, not that substitute knowledge which he cannot prove-up by. 

Teach a man how to conserve his own life force. How it can be 



SYMBOLISM 127 



utilized to prolong his life, increase his joy and insure him prosperity, 
and half the tinseled resorts of the half-world will close. 

Teach a man to respect every woman as his sister, mother or 
daughter, and the other half will close. 

Life is a religion ; its altar is humanity. 



128 



SYMBOLISM 



CHAPTER IX. 

The Knave, Politician, Christ and the Conscience All One 
and the Same — Jack of Diamonds, in Sign of Libra, Sym- 
bol of the Soul in Its First Embodiments; Also Symbol of 
the Masonic Candidate — Jack of Spades, in Sign Capri- 
corn, Symbol of the Advancement Made by the Candidate 
— The Origin of the Expression, "Riding the Goat" — 
Overcoming Death — Jack of Hearts, in Sign Aries, 
Teaches the Same Lesson as the Grand Degree of the 
Royal Arch — When Divine Love Is Made a Mercantile 
Commodity It Brings Death to the Vendor — Jack of 
Clubs, in Sign Cancer, the Candidate Makes the Grand 
Discovery. 




II 


2^v^ fro 


s3w 



The four Knaves considered collectively represent that neuter ele- 
ment in nature, that which is neither positive nor negative, but vi- 
brates between the two great extremes. In the affairs of man there are 
always the people and the president, or king; and there are always 
those who represent the people at the seat of government. These rep- 



SYMBOLISM 129 



resentatives also express the wishes of the king or president to the 
people. In the United States these middlemen are called congress- 
men, senators, aldermen and commissioners. They are of the people 
and while not of the ruling authority are yet under that authority. 
They wear the court robes and their interests are naturally selfish. 
They are the connecting link between the two ends of government. 
Being representatives of a vibrant or vacillating principle they are 
called Knaves. The reason for this is very good; these selfish in- 
dividuals ever sacrifice the interests of the people to the King and in 
turn sell out the King to the people. They are unstable, unworthy, 
selfish Knaves. 

Considered from a spiritual standpoint these Knaves represent 
the Christ principle, for did he not say, "I and my Father are one, 
ye and me are brothers?" Was he not always in communion with 
God ? And yet was he not always with the people, sharing with them 
their joys and sorrows ? And are we not taught that he is now on the 
right hand of God interceding for us ? 

In our every day lives these Knaves represent the conscience of 
man as it is : conscience that is ever interceding for us at the throne 
of the Soul, which is of God. Consequently God is ever in commune 
with each individual through the medium of this Christ principle. The 
conscience by some is called the spirit. Christ claimed nothing for 
himself but said He represented another; still upon His teaching is laid 
the foundation of the grand salvation. He was the architect of the 
church. The architect of King Solomon's Temple went to God daily 
for instructions and inspiration. The life and death of these two 
notable personages are nearly parallel and the Knaves or Jacks in the 
deck of cards are only symbols of those universal laws represented by 



i 3 o SYMBOLISM 



the "Christ" of Christianity, the "widow's son" of Masonry and the 
"Spirit" of Humanity. No human being is ever tempted to sin 
against God or nature but the conscience protests: and as the con- 
science is set aside and the sin committed the Christ within is cruci- 
fied and the architect of the temple given a felling blow. The con- 
science, however, can never be wholly destroyed. As Christ over- 
came the grave and the grand Master resuscitated so our conscience 
ever returns to be recognized and accepted, or rejected. 




If, then these Jacks represent the soul of man we can study them 
individually and with much interest and profit. We will first con- 
sider the Jack of Diamonds. By reference to the large astrological 
chart it will be seen that the place of the Jack of Diamonds is in the 
House of Libra the first house of the quarter of wealth. This house 
has for its sign the Scales or Balance. It is the seat of the kidneys 
and therefore is a symbol of regeneration. The soul of man in its 
first contact with matter must learn to weigh, to balance, to judge, 
not fellow man but self. 

When the soul is first baptized into the waters of gestation and 
comes in contact with matter it is perfect. That perfection is symbol- 
ized by the two eyes shown in the Jack of Diamonds. It is of God, 



SYMBOLISM 131 



and has authority which is symbolized by the crown. It is pure and 
innocent, as shown by the youthful and beardless face. In other 
words the Jack of Diamonds is a perfect type of the fitness of a can- 
didate who knocks at the door of a Mason's temple. The working 
tools carried by the Jack of Diamonds consist of a cant hook carried 
in the hand. This is an instrument with which logs are rolled and has 
great power. It symbolizes that our candidate is a "builder" and 
while the cant hook would naturally confine building operations to 
log or wooden houses, it does not follow that the builder may not be 
a builder of houses of many other materials. 

The idea of the symbol is simply to show that the candidate is 
a "builder;" this, of course, takes in the entire science of architecture. 
Why should a Mason study architecture unless it is to teach him the 
laws of geometry ? 

Other working tools are carried by the Jack of Diamonds. Upon 
his breast is seen a quiver filled with arrows. At first thought this 
would seem to suggest criminal instinct or life-taking propensities; 
and while such may be the purpose of the symbol, still to take life or 
kill the lower order of intelligence is the work of the human soul in 
its earlier stages of development, such as the aboriginal tribes. 

But the deeper and esoteric meaning of the quiver and arrows 
is that man must learn to kill the memories of the past. He must let 
go of yesterday and take hold of to-morrow. By living in the future 
and thus cultivating faith the soul grows in power. 

Here then in the Hall or House of Justice the soul takes up the 
cross of Christ, but it is ignorant of the Judases and ruffians lying 
in wait at every step upon the highway of life. 

A quiver of arrows on the breast shows him to be a destroyer 



132 



SYMBOLISM 



of lower life or principles. But the cant hook held in the hand shows 
him to be a hewer of wood — a builder of houses. What better illus- 
tration of the building and regenerating work of the human soul in 
its contact with matter? 

Christ was a destroyer of the old, a builder of the new. 

This card then is a symbol of the first stages of soul growth. 

We will next pay our respects to the Knave of Spades. The first 




thing to attract our attention is the fact that he has but one eye, a sym- 
bol of imperfection. Now, this is the same Christ principle we saw in 
the previous card, but the elements, conditions and environments are 
changed. This Jack has a small growth of hair on his upper lip, show- 
ing experience and years in advance of the Jack of Diamonds. 

This personage carries in his hand an hour glass, symbolizing 
eternal and internal life : as the sands of one life run out the glass is 
inverted, thus keeping up a perpetual stream of motion or life. 

The Spade is an emblem of death. Christ asked that the cup of 
death be spared him; so, too, the Jack of Spades also turns his head 
away from this unwelcome visitor. The celestial sign of the zodiac 
to which the Jack of Spades belongs is called Capricornus, represented 
by the goat. It is the first house in the quarter of death, and since 



SYMBOLISM 



133 



every soul must knock at this door knowing not what is beyond the 
grave, the blindfolded candidate is a nice illustration of this step into 
the unknown; his sins are loaded on the scapegoat, hence the expres- 
sion "riding the goat." 

Had the soul or Christ principle, symbolized by the Knaves, suc- 
cessfully carried the cross of matter taken up first by the Jack of 
Diamonds, there would be no death to symbolize. But it failed, and 
presents itself at this time as imperfect, consequently not an accept- 
able workman in the temple of the Lord. The language of this card 
in the sign Capricorn is: 

"I prepare my sepulchre ;" 

"I make my grave in the pollution of the earth;" 

"I am under the shadow of death." 




JACK OF HEARTS. 



The Christ principle was first presented to us by the Jack of 
Diamonds who, representing the Perfect One, fails to carry the cross 
of matter; as a further expression of the Divine word he appears as 
the Jack of Spades; now he demands our consideration in the garb 



i 3 4 SYMBOLISM 



and dress of the Jack of Hearts. The first thing to consider in con- 
nection with the personality of this card is his place in the Zodiac. 

He belongs to the sign Aries — which is the seventh sign from 
Libra counting the latter one, Scorpio two, etc. Our candidate began 
his 'first lesson in Libra; he is now found in the seventh house. This 
shows that he has been persevering, and, having traveled more than 
half-way round the circle of Infinity, he is now born anew, is raised 
from the dead, and as a promise that he will never again be called upon 
to go down into death's chamber, is given a little evergreen leaf to 
carry in his hand, a constant reminder of the eternal presence of a 
living God. 

But this sprig of acacia is only a symbol of that conscious recog- 
nition of the spark of Divine fire within every one. 

All of the new schools of thought, such as Mental and Divine 
Science, Spiritualism, Theosophy, and kindred "isms," are but class 
manifestations of what is here symbolized as taking place in the in- 
dividual. There are many on earth to-day who are conscious of their 
resurrection from the spiritually dead and who have recognized this 
spark of Divinity within, and who know that it is their very life; 
when it is transferred to others by personal contact or by the spoken 
word, or by silent suggestion, it gives life and hope. Such workers, 
however, are often just what is pictured by this card — for see, he has 
only one eye — a symbol of imperfection. The small growth of hair 
on the face also indicates youth and inexperience, the beheading ax 
is a symbol of death. All of this shows plainly that "a little knowl- 
edge is a dangerous thing." 

The language of the sprig of acacia is: "I have been in the 



SYMBOLISM 135 



grave. I have triumphed over it by rising from the dead and, being re- 
generated by the process, I have a claim on life everlasting." 

This sprig is held in the hand before the lace, but the holder seems 
unconscious of the implement of death so close behind. He knows of 
his sonship with God, feels called upon to do God's work, but the ig- 
norance of youth and innocence of childhood soon cause him to be 
puffed up with the idea that he is God instead of a reflector of the 
Divine will; this false conception proves his death by the ax. Then 
again, having failed to carry the cross of matter, a smouldering fire of 
love for worldly power, symbolized by the Diamond (money) still 
exists ; and sometimes the fatal mistake is made in the belief that this 
Divine fire, or love, can be made a mercantile commodity and sold to 
the highest bidder. This use, or misuse, also causes death to the in- 
itiate soul. 

How frequently we hear of God calling a faithful servant from 
one field to labor to another through the voice of an increased salary ? 

Again, who has not heard of that representative of God refus- 
ing to pray for a soul until the stipulated price be paid ? Who, too, has 
not heard of the healers who would not allow the Divine fires of life to 
flow through their hands or minds until a satisfactory financial ar- 
rangement was made ? And to you, my Masonic brother of the Royal 
Arch, this card is a symbol of that one who is raised from the dead 
to a living man; he is also that same one who in everyday walks of 
life sees only the letter and not the spirit. While both have been over 
the same road, one only is chosen and will be tried, for he sees the 
light. 

Aries is the sign of the human head. As the head is the seat of 
government for the upper half of the body so, when human love finds 



136 SYMBOLISM 



expression through the organs of speech, mind and heart, or that por- 
tion of the body above the navel, it is life. When this love finds ex- 
pression through those parts below the navel it is death. 

Therefore the Jack of Hearts, being "at home" in the sign of 
Aries, is a symbol of the power of mind to express through the hu- 
man body not only life but death. Hence, if a person thinketh on an- 
other with an impure mind, he hath already committed adultery; 
again if one thinketh of others with pure love and place his hands upon 
them they bless. The Jack of Hearts then is a symbol of the Christ 
principle just born and recognized; the heart a flame of fire^ symbol of 
life, energy, love; the young face emblem of innocence; the hair on 
the face emblem of youth, or a little learning; the sprig of acacia, 
eternal life; beheading ax, death. 

He faces the emblem of life showing a desire for it ; but his youth, 
innocence and inexperience may betray him at any time to his own 
death. Thus, because of ignorance of God's whole law, the Christ in 
man is constantly being crucified and the Grand Master of God's holy 
temple is being eternally killed by the three ruffians — Ignorance, Fear 
and Selfishness. It is a wonderful responsibility to be charged with 
the work of carrying out the plans of the architect of the human 
temple. One only begins to realize it when trying to express pure 
Divine Love ; but by repeated failures and many discouragements the 
soul finally comes to the Zodiacal sign Cancer (represented by the 
crab) and here we are introduced to the Jack of Clubs. We find he 



SYMBOLISM 



137 




occupies the tenth step in the spiral stairway. This number itself sig- 
nifies perfection while the zodiacal animal, Crab, is an emblem of 
going backward; the creature goes backward in order to go for- 
ward. So, too, the Christ principle was in the beginning 
perfect and first found the light in the Scales of Justice (Libra). 
But it descended into materiality and was buried amid the rubbish 
of sensuality, however overcoming death finally, and being born anew 
amid the fires of Divine love. Being tested and tried behind the third 
veil and discovering that all Karmic debts of the past have been paid 
and all obligations to nature, man and God satisfied, the scales of dark- 
ness drop from his eyes and he now sees himself a perfect man, hav- 
ing two eyes, free and acceptable unto the Lord. This card then, the 
Jack of Clubs, symbolizes a knowledge of the law, but the fact that 
our friend turns his face away from the clover leaf (or Club), symbol 
of wisdom, shows that he is not yet ready to take a fixed place. He 
knows the law but hesitates to assume the responsibility of transferring 
it to others, or in any way manifesting the Divine word with which he 
is now possessed. Although his eyes have been opened to the truth 
and he has received the golden key of wisdom that unlocks all secret 
places, he has not recognized it when placed in his hand. The beard- 



138 SYMBOLISM 



less face is a type of that childish simplicity that must stamp every 
one when all things have been made ready for an entrance into the 
presence of the most High One; notwithstanding we possess much 
knowledge we present ourselves as little children, "for of such is the 
kingdom of Heaven," and we "knock at the door" of the temple on 
high, made without the sound of any metal tool. (Observe the hand 
of the Jack of Clubs knocking at the door.) That lie has found 
eternal life is beautifully symbolized by the sprig of acacia 
now worn in the crown, and which the Jack of Hearts carries 
in the hand. 

I shall now leave the Christ principle, or Knaves, for a time and 
consider the Queens as smbolizing the negative, spiritual or intuitional 
nature. 



SYMBOLISM 



i39 



CHAPTER X. 

The Four Queens — The Flowers Carried by Them Symbolize 
the Nine Months of Gestation, the Twelve Months of 
the Year, the Signs of the Zodiac, Etc. — Queen of Spades, 
Symbol of Death and Resurrection — The Queen Card 
Also a Symbol of the Christ Principle — Birth of 
America the Birth of Woman's Freedom — The Important 
Part Woman Is Playing in the Evolution of the Race — 
The Duty of the United States — Its Relations With 
Other Nations Prophesied in the Cards — Physical Di- 
visions of the Country, Number of States, Execu- 
tive, Judiciary and Legislative Branches Seen and 
Read in the Cards — Even the District of Columbia 
Symbolized by One of the Cards — Vision of an Interna- 
tional Flag. 




Previously I have spoken of the general laws symbolized by the 
Queens : I shall now only speak of the flowers, which are held in the 



140 SYMBOLISM 



hands. A close observation reveals that no two of these flowers are 
similar, and yet all are exactly alike. 

Study them closely and it will be seen that most manufacturers 
represent these flowers as being composed of one large square and 
one large circle. 

The circle is a symbol of Infinity and when this circle is squared 
it reduces itself to the four universal elements, fire, earth, air, water. 

Then there are four little squares and four little circles witnn; the 
larger ones. This is a symbol of that Divine Law which requires 
and demands of each individual that he square his own circle, mean- 
ing that each individual has a place and a work to do, that each is 
given at birth a perfect rule and guide, by the use of which he can al- 
ways measure himself and take his own bearings, knowing exactly 
how he stands with the universe. 

This guide and rule is the Christ principle represented in the 
flower by the very small circle and square. This at first glance ap- 
pears to be the calyx and, from a spiritual standpoint, that is just what 
is represented. Thus we find these flowers are made to represent 
three circles and three squares, one within the other; each is divided 
into four parts, making a total of twelve parts to the circles and 
twelve parts to the squares, corresponding with the numerical position 
of the Queen in each suit, her place being the Twelfth. This also cor- 
responds with the number of signs in the Zodiac and number of months 
in a year. 

It is easy to see the four little diamond-shaped squares on the 
outer edge of the flower, also the four circles that seem to form the 
leaves of the bloom. The sum of these four squares and circles equals 
eight; these eight individualities are held together by a central one, 



SYMBOLISM 141 



and this one plus the eight gives us the number nine, the number of 
months required for perfect gestation. There are four Queens; nine 
multiplied by four equals thirty-six : again the number of perfect ges- 
tation, or 3 plus 6 equals 9. 

A Queen, then, is symbolic of the spiritual nature in man, for it 
is the spirit that gives life and light to the body. It is the spirit which 
ascends to Heaven, according to the pattern set by the great Teacher. 
The flower is an emblem of life and woman's function is to bring forth 
life; therefore only emblems of life are found associated with the 
Queens, with one exception, Queen of Spades; associated with her we 
see a lighted candle. (See Queen of Spades.) This is a beautiful way 
of telling in symbol the story of death and resurrection, for the Zodi- 
acal place of the Queen of Spades is in the sign of Aquarius, repre- 
sented by two wavy lines thusx^^£^. These signify the River of 
Death, the two lines picturing waves of water. It is the spirit that 
must make the journey across the River of Death, hence, the Queen 
being a symbol of that life which never dies, she is the proper one to 
carry the candle that lights the soul through the dark valley and 
shadow of death. 

There is still another language to this card. She turns her face 
away from the emblem of death (the Spade), and earnestly contem- 
plates the spiritual light within symbolized by the candle. It is woman's 
nature, then, to turn to God in time of trouble ; instead of seeking re- 
venge, she seeks Divine help through prayer. And now as Christmas 
time is with us, and we celebrate the birth of Christ, I wish to show 
the most startling truth yet in connection with this "little book." For 
this purpose I feel the need of a sub-text which shall be : 



142 SYMBOLISM 



The history of the United States and its relation to the world, as read 

in symbols through the Deck of Cards.* 

The discovery, growth and influence of this nation is the direct 
result of mankind's recognition of the Christ principle within him, that 
still small voice ever knocking at the door of each one's conscience. 
This voice tells all who listen that woman is as much a Divine crea- 
tion as man. It also tells that woman is a ruler as well as man. But 
her power to rule lies in her ability to conceive life rather than to 
take it. 

The world has always worshiped the masculine God, and we 
have seen by the "little book" that while the man God in nature 
is a destroyer the woman God in nature is a preserver. 

Let us, then, with the birth of a new year and a new century, 
acknowledge the Mother of Life and Love in nature as well as the 
Father. This resolution adopted, we can take up the history of the 
United States as revealed in the "little book." 

The discoverer of America (Columbus) listened to the little 
voice within and a woman furnished the means that enabled him to 
make the first voyage. 

When Queen Isabella had heard of the New World as it ap- 
peared to Columbus, and had considered the many obstacles that 
stood in the way of successfully carrying out his plans, and knowing 
the impoverished condition of her exchecquer, she said: 

"I will assume the undertaking for my own crown of Castile, and 
am ready to pawn my own jewels to defray the expenses of it if the 
funds in the treasury shall be found inadequate." 



*This portion of this book was written several years before the publication of the 
present work, in a series of letters at about Christmas time. — The Author. 



SYMBOLISM 143 



The early settlement of the country was the result of man's de- 
sire to be free to express his religious opinions. 

This is soon followed by THIRTEEN COLONIES, corre- 
sponding to the thirteen cards in each suit, demanding absolute free- 
dom for all mankind, and a woman conceives an elastic banner to 
symbolize to the world the fact that a new principle is born, the name 
of which is Liberty. I say "elastic banner" for the reason that it 
changes every time a territory is admitted to statehood. Since the es- 
tablishment of this Government, woman has been so prominent in the 
history of the world that it is difficult to keep pace with her. But, be 
it said to her honor and credit, and let it ever live in letters of eternal 
fire, her influence has invariably been on the side of peace and moral 
advancement. 

Most all of the new issues tending to make man free are due to 
the fact that woman first gave them birth. I cannot mention all; a 
few will suffice. Theosophy, Blavatsky; Christian Science, Eddy; 
Spiritualism, Fox Sisters; the W. C. T. U., distinctly a woman's 
organization, an outgrowth of the woman's crusade in Ohio. Then 
there are many organizations of women, national and international, 
all having for their object the betterment of humanity. Women's 
clubs are springing into existence in large numbers, and their influ- 
ence in our legislative bodies is growing larger each day. 

The reader can follow out this line of thought and perhaps call 
to mind the many and important changes in our national and state 
laws that have been the direct result of woman's effort. 

At no time in the modern history of the world has woman been 
accorded such liberties and allowed to enter all vocations of industrial 
life so extensively as since the discovery of America. 



i 4 4 SYMBOLISM 



Let us view in brief the female sex and see how unfavorably 
the male sex compares with her. Agrippa says: 

In the first place woman is regarded as better than ma.i, hav- 
ing received the better name. Man was called Adam, meaning Earth ; 
woman, Eve, meaning Life. As much as life excels earth, woman 
excels man. In the order of creation, first is the incorruptible soul, 
then corruptible matter, beginning with minerals, herbs, trees, shrubs ; 
then zoophites, brutes, reptiles, fishes, birds, quadrupeds; lastly two 
human beings. First of these the male, then the female. Then the 
creator rested, his work being finished. Nothing greater, nothing 
more beautiful than woman was conceived by ihe Lord. 

Man was created outside the gates of paradise; woman was the 
first paradisaical creation. Nature respects woman's natural charms 
by not compelling her to suffer the humiliation of baldheadedness. 
Woman's purity is vouched for in the old adage that "when a woman 
washes she is clean;" though she wash in several waters she does not 
soil them, whereas if man do wash in ten waters he soils and clouds 
them all. It was Adam who was forbidden to eat of the fruit of the 
tree of knowledge. Woman was therefore created free. 

St. Bernard says : Eve was chosen as a field for temptation by 
the devil because she was the most perfect. She erred in ignorance 
but man sinned knowingly. So when the Lord appeared on earth again 
at the dawn of the Christian era he humbled himself as man and over- 
came as a descendant of woman. He would not be born of man, 
but woman alone was the chosen vessel and medium. She alone was 
considered fit to be a parent of the Divinity. 

They were women who first met the Lord after His death; He 
honored them by making His appearance first to them. 

No persecution or heresy in the church ever began with woman. 

They were men who betrayed, sold, bought, accused, condemned, 
mocked and cruicified the Lord. Women were iX the foot of the 
cross and they were at the sepulchre. 

The Virgin Mary is the chief prop of the church. 

Adam, fresh from the creative hands, fell an easy captive to 
woman's charms. 

Samson's strength failed him in the presence of a woman. 

Solomon was wise, but a woman deceived him. 

Job was patient until a woman disturbed it. 

It was Peter the favorite who was, by woman, made to deny his 
Lord. 



SYMBOLISM 145 



Even the wickedness of woman is in the eyes of the Lord many 
times preferable to the virtues of the men. 

Rachel was praised for deceiving her father, and Rebecca because 
she obtained fraudulently Jacob's benediction. 

We die in the seed of Adam and live in the seed of Eve. 

The first bigamists, drunkards and tyrants were men. The his- 
tory of the world 'is red with the blood of men, and our prisons are 
filled with men. 

Abraham was told to hearken to the voice of Sarah his wife. 

The scientific and learned doctor is often discomfited and put to 
flight by the ignorant midwife. 

The wise astrologers of old, as "shepherds," saw by the con- 
figurations of the heavens that a Savior was to visit the earth but He, 
the Savior, was conceived of woman, and during His ministry woman 
was first to be forgiven of her sins. 

That man regards woman as his superior is shown by the defer- 
ence extended her when meeting on the street. He always gives her 
the right of way. He worships at her shrine and bedecks her noble 
body with the finest of raiment and jewels. 

It was St. Paul who said : "Wives, be subject to your husbands," 
but it must not have been a Divine Law he was speaking of, for he also 
said : "In Christ there is neither male nor female but a new creature/' 

The United States as a member of the family of nations has a 
duty to perform — that duty is prophesied and symbolized by the deck 
of cards. The signs of the times already point to the fulfillment of 
the prophesy. 

The prophesy is that universal peace shall come to the civilized 
world; that wars shall give way to reason (through arbitration). 

With the disappearance of war, woman's sphere of activity and 
usefulness will be equal to that of man. Through the intuitional and 
inspirational nature of woman, man is being more and more psychic- 
ally developed ; as his inner nature becomes awakened, and he becomes 
more open to inspiration his inventive genius waxes more alert. As a 
result of this the agencies of war become more and more destructive : 
finally the nations of earth will not dare to £0 to war. Even now man's 



146 SYMBOLISM 



inventive genius has enabled him to almost annihilate distance. 
Balloons, telephones, wireless telegraphy, torpedoes, hand granades, 
smokeless powder, cannon with a range of twenty-five miles, portable 
railroads and armored trains, all, combine to make war, even now, 
most horrible to contemplate. Should the arts and sciences advance 
during the next fifty years in a corresponding ratio with that made 
during the past fifty years, it is not difficult to see why nations would 
seek arbitration rather than war. 

In the future the greatest diplomat will be the greatest warrior. 
"Blessed be the peacemaker." The world is rapidly growing too small 
for war. 

The United States is built upon a number plan and if there be 
any true science at all it must be the science of numbers. 

Christ was the thirteenth one. 

He was the embodiment of the principle of freedom. He said He 
came to set the world free, to establish freedom. 

The United States is formed or established on the Christ princi- 
ple. It therefore becomes the duty of the United States to carry the 
lighted torch of liberty to the nations of the earth; not by imposing 
upon other nations American customs, but by example, and the first 
great example is the liberty and equality of woman — even now an ac- 
complished fact in the United States. 

Already the proclamation has been made in symbol by the colossal 
female statue carrying the lighted torch of liberty at the entrance to 
New York harbor, the principal port of the country. 

That the American people have recognized the universal mother 
principle and placed it above all other things dear is shown by the 
fact that all gold and silver money bears the likeness of an American 
woman. 



SYMPOLISM 147 



This image is not that of any particular woman, made to do honor 
to any particular time or administration. It is free from personal ex- 
altation: it is an image of perfect womanhood as conceived by the 
American people. 

The likeness is surrounded forever by the thirteen original stars, 
and across her brow they have written the word "Liberty." 

Man's spiritual nature is said to be feminine ; American man has 
unconsciously placed upon his money a picture of his spiritual nature. 

Upon the reverse side he has engraved an eagle. This again is an 
unconscious recognition of the spiritual nature, for while the eagle is 
called the "king of birds/' and "king of the air," still no male eagles 
are ever found; they are all females. (So claimed by Agrippa.) 

Thus upon man's earthly God (money) has he engraved a picture 
of his spiritual God (woman) ; to further show his faith in the freedom 
of the spirit he has caused to be graven a symbol of freedom in the 
"king of the air" (eagle). 

The physical make-up and divisions of the United States corre- 
spond with the physical make-up and divisions of the deck of cards. 

The United States is divided into two great parts or halves by the 
Mississippi river, corresponding to the two colors in cards. The 
eastern half of the United States is again divided by the Ohio river 
and the western half by the Missouri river, thus producing four quar- 
ters, corresponding to the four suits. Besides ihese physical divisions 
the country has been mentally divided, the North against the South, 
the West against the East. The latter on the money question, the 
former on the slavery issue. Of course, both these questions at present 
seem to have been settled and the country is apparently a unit, still no 



143 SYMBOLISM 



one can tell what day a question may arise causing the country to take 
sides again. 

We started with thirteen states corresponding to the thirteen cards 
in each suit. We have grown to forty-five (with three knocking at 
the 'door) : There will be fifty-two before the perfect fulfillment of 
the law, before the object of the birth of the United States will be 
fully realized and known. 

When Liberty's child, Kansas, asked to be adopted, the unholy 
and unclean thing, slavery, had to be expunged. Kansas may be said 
to have been the cause of the death of slavery in the United States. 

Later, as though to amend any wrongs that may have been com- 
mitted on her account, she was first to give to woman freedom and 
equality with man through the ballot. 

Thus did Liberty, in giving birth to Kansas, rid herself of the 
obnoxious disease. Almost the first act of the child in its early 
adolescence was to give back to mother Liberty her own freedom. It 
was Kansas that first adopted the prohibition law ; a movement which 
was and is distinctively of woman. 

The Government of the United States is divided into three heads, 
Executive, Judiciary, Legislative. Each department is authoritative 
and distinct, yet they are interdependent. 

Corresponding with the three court cards in each suit. Thus the 
King is the superior card in each suit. He is the ruler, and by reason 
of the weapons carried in his hand, which indicate he is a ruler by 
might. He corresponds with the President or Executive. 

The Queen in each suit is also a ruler, as shown by her crown, but 
her ruling power is indicated by the flower carried in the hand. It is a 
symbol that her power to rule lies in her power to conceive, thus her 
rulings or conquests are peaceful. The Queens correspond with the 



SYMBOLISM 149 



Judiciary. The Legislative body represents that neutral quality repre- 
sented by the Jacks or Knaves. The members of the legislature come 
direct from the people. They are of the people. They are also the ad- 
visors and counsellors of the President. They communicate to the 
people the wishes of the president. They inform the president of the 
desires of the people. 

A selfish lot they are, not hesitating to sell out the president to 
the people, or vice versa. Unstable, unreliable, vacillating : because of 
this they are Knaves. 

The District of Columbia is a part of the United States and the 
seat of Government ; yet it is not a state and takes no part in politics, 
none of its citizens ever voting. It is presided over by three commis- 
sioners, again corresponding with the three court cards in each suit. 

The streets and avenues of Washington City lead to all points of 
the compass. 

Whatever the party in power is, that also Washington is. 

She changes her citizenship, therefore her complexion, with each 
changing administration. She is the constant ruler, yet ever changing 
to suit the trumps. 

The District of Columbia is to the United States what the Joker 
is to the Deck of Cards. And while the Joker may be said to be a 
recent addition to the pack, I reply it is no more recent than the intro- 
duction of the United States into the Gallery of Nations; one is as 
young as the other. 

And as I pen these lines I see, as in a vision, a new universal flag 
with a white field, emblem of purity. It has upon it a red heart, em- 
blem of Love, and a green clover leaf, emblem of wisdom. The lan- 
guage of this banner is "Virtue expressed in Love, peace and wisdom." 



ISO SYMBOLISM 



And I hear a voice saying : "Any nation that shall adopt this flag and 
live its principles shall have eternal life." 

Now let me refer to the text : "It shall be in thy mouth sweet as 
honey, and in thy belly bitter." 

' The deck of cards has for centuries been in the world's mouth. 
And it has been sweet because it has been used for a plaything — a 
means of pleasure, an instrument of vice. But once let man digest it 
by becoming acquainted with the laws it symbolizes; let man "eat it 
up" and become wise in its teachings and then it does, indeed, become 
bitter, because it forces one to walk in the straight and narrow path. 

The American Flag may some day have fifty-two stars, and 
woman may some day be man's equal, provided the law of the Lord is 
perfect. 

As has been pointed out, the duty of the United States and its rela- 
tion to the balance of the world is that of "light bearer," "peace mak- 
er," "mediator," as that prophecy is written in the sacred book of 52. 

We are a nation of Masons, of Christians, at the present free. Are 
we to be "taken" and "accepted' as such by the grand architect of the 
Universal temple ? 



SYMBOLISM is i 



PART VI. 

MORE DISCLOSURES AND 
GRAND DISCOVERIES. THE 
LITTLE BOOK STILL HOLDS 
OUR ATTENTION AND BY 
THE AID OF THE GRAND 
MAN OF THE UNIVERSE 
WE OPEN TO VIEW NEW 
AND UNHEARD-OF USES 
FOR THE SACRED EMBLEMS 



152 SYMBOLISM 



PART SIX. 

By reference to Chart No. i,* of which Part VI is explanatory, 
it will be seen that the names of the months are repeated in the dif- 
ferent circles. The only circle the reader will consider, however r is 
that wherein the name of the month is written in the LARGEST 
TYPE. For instance, March and August appear in the sign Virgo. 
This simply means that on the first day of March the earth is in the 
sign Virgo ten degrees. 

Each degree is indicated by a short radial line on the inside of 
the inner circle. During the month of March the world passes 
through Virgo and into Libra ten degrees. Of course the sun, being 
opposite to the earth, would appear in the signs of Pisces and Aries, 
therefore the large type has reference to the location of the EARTH 
for any day in the year; the small type locates the SUN for the 
same period. Thus it will be seen by those having a knowledge of 
the science of astrology that the two systems, Geocentric and Helio- 
centric, are embraced. The former assumes the Earth to be the 
center of the universe, the latter the Sun. 

The chart was made for class work in the study of Symbolism and 
contains much that cannot possibly be explained in book form. The 
reader is requested, however, to study the chart in connection with 
this chapter in order to get the full benefit of the author's meaning. 

^Several orthographic errors appear in the Chart; unavoidable lack of time pre- 
vented their correction for use in the present edition. — Author. 



SYMBOLISM 153 



CHAPTER XI. 

The Grand Archetypal Man — The Four Suits Co-ordinate 
With the Four Elements, Fire, Earth, Air and Water — 
Growth and Development of Our Bodies Shown To Be the 
Result of Planetary Influence — By the Chart Every One 
Can See the Nature of His Cross — It Is a Picture of 
the Masonic Grand Lodge or King Solomon's Temple — The 
Candidate Is Symbolized by the Jack of Diamonds in the 
Sign Libra, Quarter of Wealth — The Tramp and the 

b Millionaire — The Kidneys Brains of Sexation — The Two 
Pillars of the Temple. 



EXPLANATION OF CHART. 

To the reader versed in astrological science or one having even a 
"reading knowledge," much of this chart will be self-explanatory. 

The Mason will find but little, at first glance, to remind him of 
the teaching of Masonry, yet this chart is a picture of the universal 
temple, telling the same story and revealing the same laws as are re- 
vealed to the candidate in his journey from the lowest to the highest 
degrees. 

The Christian will perhaps be slow to admit that the Signs of the 
Zodiac and the Deck of Cards have anything to do with the "revealed 
plan of salvation." Nevertheless, the whole story of the Bible from 
beginning to end is included in this chart. 



154 SYMBOLISM 



It is not the author's desire to explain it from any standpoint 
other than that of Masonry. 

The circle is, of course, a symbol of Infinity : it is symbolic of that 
great circle including our sun and the solar universe. 

The four emblems at the corners — Heart, Club, Diamond and 
Spade — are the symbols of the four universal elements, Fire, Air, 
Earth and Water. By the influence of the planets one upon the other 
within this universal circle, causing these four elements to chemicalize 
and commingle, our bodies are formed. In other words, our bodies are 
formed by, or rather are the result of, planetary influence and are com- 
posed of the four elements. 

As proof that our bodies are the result of planetary influence it 
is only necessary to call the reader's attention to the changes recorded 
in the human body as a result of planetary change. Follow the growth 
of the body from time of conception. 

At the end of one revolution of the moon around the earth or, 
twenty-seven days from conception, certain conditions prevail, cords 
and tendons are united and menstration ceases. Upon the eighty-sev- 
enth day, or when Mercury has made one revolution around the sun, 
which is the ninety day period, it is impossible to separate the foetus 
from the mother ; for the Lord hath "sealed" and "they whom the Lord 
hath sealed let no man put asunder." 

One revolution of Mercury is equal to three of the moon and 
when the moon has made seven revolutions around the earth the planet 
Venus has made one; in other words we are sealed by the planet of 
beauty and love (Venus), and it is under the harmonious influences 
of this planet that our bodies are perfected and many are born at the 
seventh month, this being the month of perfection. The full period of 



SYMBOLISM 155 



gestation, however, requires nine revolutions of the moon or three 
revolutions of Mercury, which equal certain perfect fractional parts 
of revolutions of the larger planets, dating from the time when we 
are born into the world to take up the cross of matter on the five points 
of contact. 

At this period the earth, however, has made but three-fourths 
of its journey around the sun : when it has completed its circle (occur- 
ring about the third month after birth), the moon has made thirteen 
circuits around the earth, Mercury has made four around the sun, and 
Venus has almost completed its second circuit around the sun. Of 
course all the larger planets have progressed a certain number of de- 
grees through the various signs of the Zodiac. 

About one year from birth we ripen under the influence of Mars ; 
or as that planet does not complete its circuit around the sun (from 
the time of our conception) until we are about one year old, we may 
be said to be sealed by him at that time : his influence is manifested by 
the "intelligence" displayed, and we begin to measure distance by 
reaching out for things and in many ways exhibiting reason. 

The next planet we ripen under or are "sealed" by is old Jupiter, 
who requires twelve of our years to go around the sun once. He lin- 
gers one year in each of the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and when he 
completes his journey around the sun and returns to the point whence 
he started when we were conceived we respond to that return by be- 
coming competent or arriving at the age of puberty. 

Saturn or Satan requires twenty-nine years, or about that, to 
complete one circuit around the sun. Saturn is a spiritualizing planet : 
his influence is upon the spiritual rather than the physical nature, and 
our physical bodies stop growing at about that time of life, and our 



156 SYMBOLISM 



minds turn into such channels as cause us to contemplate the future 
state. Extraordinary experiences generally accompany the ripening in- 
fluences of this planet : sickness, accidents, marriage, childbirth, jour- 
neys, divorces, etc. Saturn is called the God of Death and as it is 
Saturn's influence which causes the growth of the body to cease and 
the spiritual nature to awaken it does not require very strong imagina- 
tion to discover why Saturn should be called an evil planet, and also 
reveal the origin of his Satanic Majesty. 

At about the twenty-ninth year the physical body dies (meta- 
phorically speaking) and the spiritual man is born or awakened. 

Many people experience religion at this time or have a decided 
change of religious faith or in some manner are brought to consider 
life from a new viewpoint. 

The next planet to seal us with the stamp of fate is Herschel or 
Uranus whose year is equal to eighty-four of ours : he consumes eighty- 
four of our years in girdling the sun once. 

He remains seven years in each of the twelve signs of the Zodiac. 

The influence of Uranus is also spiritual ; the work begun by Sat- 
urn in our twenty-ninth year is supposed to be finished by Uranus in 
our eighty-fourth year. His ripening influence is generally most 
marked; second sight, new teeth, second growth of hair and many 
other noticeable changes mark his completed journey around ihe sun. 

Neptune, the outer sentinel of our solar system, whose year or 
circuit around the sun is equal to one hundred and sixty-four of our 
years, is also a great spiritualizer ; he never fails to complete the work 
of spiritualizing begun by Saturn. 

Very marked changes take place in both men and women at the 
forty-second year, and again in the forty-ninth. These changes, no 



SYMBOLISM 157 



doubt, are results of planetary combinations, as the forty-second year 
is the half of a Uranian year and a fourth of a Neptunian year. 

These observations, being only general :n character, are given 
here to indicate to the student a line of thought which, if followed, will 
lead to rich discoveries. 

The human figure drawn within the circle is the Archetypal Man, 
or man of the universe, in the image of whom we are all made. 

If the reader will refer to the chart and find the month in which 
he was born, then count the lines on the inside circle, one for each day, 
he can by this means ascertain in just what part of the Grand Solar 
Man the "Earth" was at the time of his birth. Then by counting back 
nine months he will see in what part of the Grand Man conception took 
place. The sun and earth appear to be opposite each other, therefore, 
knowing where the earth was at birth, the sun must have been in ex- 
actly the opposite sign. Hence if one will locate the earth at conception 
and birth on the chart, then draw a line to the opposite sign (the loca« 
tion of the sun), he will see just what is the nature of the cross with 
which he was laden at birth. 

To illustrate : We will say a person is born September 30. The 
Earth was in Aries (where the Jack of Hearts is) 10 degrees. The 
sun was, of course, in the sign of Libra (where the Jack of Diamonds 
is). Counting backward nine months the earth would be in Cancer 
(Jack of Clubs) about ten degrees, and the sun in Capricorn (Jack of 
Spades). 

If the sun was in the house of Capricorn at time of conception 
and if the sun be the source of all light and life then Capricorn fur* 
nished the soul that was baptized into the waters of gestation in the 



158 



SYMBOLISM 



house of Cancer. That which was conceived, then, in Cancer was 
brought forth nine months afterward in the t:ign of Aries. 

Capricorn furnishes the soul, from the sun ; Cancer furnishes the 
matrix, the Earth; Aries furnishes the completed body, the Earth; 
Libra blesses the work because the sun is in Libra at the time the first 
breath is drawn; "and the Lord blesses everything and calls it good." 

Masonry, as a school, teaches the law of the soul. The Masonic 
candidate in all his initiations imitates the soul. The soul being from 
Heaven or God is sexless and innocent of earth's experience. 

It is perfect and has power and dominion over matter. 

The journey of the soul in its contact with matter is beautifully 
delineated by the four Jacks in the chart. As the Jacks are symbols 
of the neutral quality it will be seen they fitly typify the soul. 

The chart taken as a whole is a symbol of King Solomon's temple, 
the entrance being at Libra, the Scales, in the quarter of Diamonds, 
and the candidate is symbolized by the Jack of Diamonds, who is per- 




fect in body, Lis perfection being symbolized by the two eyes. He is of 
God and has authority, manifested by the crown. His innocence and 
inexperience are shown by the beardless face. He carries in his hand a 
cant hook with which he rolls the logs and heavy timbers together, thus 



SYMBOLISM 159 



proving him to be a "builder." Upon his breast he carries a quiver of 
arrows, symbolic of destruction; in other words the quiver of arrows 
spmbolizes that the soul, the traveler or candidate, must depend upon 
the country through which he is sojourning for sustenance. It also 
means that we are to let go of yesterday as being forever dead, while 
the cant hook is a symbol of hope and faith in the future. 

God sometimes tries our faith by taking from us all our accumu- 
lated wealth. It requires a stout heart to spend the last cent. 

The speculator on change or the gambler, venturing his last dol- 
lar on a single deal, manifests more faith in humanity, more faith in 
God, more faith in himself; is by far a braver man and stands nearer 
to God, than the hypocritical Christian who serves the devil six days 
and God one, or the Mason who takes the degrees and covers himself 
with jewels, yet sees in them only an opportunity to further his own 
personal ends. 

The tramp internally is a millionaire, for he is satisfied. 

The millionaire internally is a tramp, for he is filled with fear and 
vexation of spirit. 

The candidate enters the temple at the House of Libra, symbol- 
ized by the Balances. These are metallic and have no feelings of 
sympathy or favoritism. They weigh for the rich and the poor alike. 

They are the symbol of universal justice, that "as a man soweth 
so shall he reap." They teach the lesson that there are no honorary 
members in heaven or hell; that both places or conditions are filled 
with souls who have worked their way there and earned their just 
reward. They teach the candidate that he must weigh himself in deal- 
ings with mankind; instead of judging his neighbor he is to judge 
himself. 



i6o SYMBOLISM 



Our candidate enters the temple through that portion of the 
Grand Man known as the kidneys, the brains of sexation. 

They might be likened to the two pillars at the entrance of Solo- 
mon's temple, called strength and beauty, male and female, or father 
and mother. 

The Diamond (which is the cross of matter folded up as is shown 
in another chapter,) is taken on by the soul and in the Diamond quar- 
ter the soul lingers for ages, having many and repeated lives. 

It learns how to govern matter by the power of will. It learns 
how to wisely and justly use earthly power coming as a result of large 
landed possessions, as those of the nobility. 

It learns how to wisely use money and to justly dispense the 
favors resulting from the possession of great wealth. 

It learns that from the soul which has much much is expected. 



SYMBOLISM 



161 




CHAPTER XII. 

Jack of Spades, Sign Capricorn, Quarter of Death — The Can- 
didate Has Lost His Perfection — Learns the Lesson of 
Compensation — The Scapegoat — It Is in This Quarter 
the Soul Meets and Overcomes Death. 



After mastering the quarter of Diamonds our candidate next ap- 
pears as the Jack of Spades in the quarter of Death or Spades. 

In his contact with matter he has lost original perfection and he 
now appears imperfect, which is symbolized by the one eye. 

He still has divine authority — shown by the crown. He is still 
young and inexperienced — shown by the youthful face. The mustache, 
though, shows added experience. He realizes fully that he is to learn 
the lesson of death, yet turns his face from the emblem of death, earn- 
estly contemplating an hour glass held in the hand. He watches the 
sands run from one end to the other, a symbol that as the sands of 
one life run out the glass is inverted and the same sands and the same 
life are again set in motion. He contemplates nature, observing that 



162 SYMBOLISM 



season follows season; that the trees do not suffer when shedding 
their leaves; that the earth gives abundantly year after year, but that 
she demands a return of every morsel given. He is taught that all 
life is of God and that God too demands a complete return of all He 
hath given. 

In the first house of the quarter of spades is that portion of the 
anatomy of the Grand Man called the knees. These are the feet of 
piayer and are symbols of humility and meekness. When the soul 
enters the portals of death he comes in fear and trembling, metaphori- 
cally, on bended knees. 

When the messenger of death makes his appearance, the soul 
leaves the sins of the body behind, entering blindfold, so to speak, 
into the unknown. 

The Goat of Capricorn is made the "scapegoat"; the candidate 
is said to ride the goat, which is to say, when a candidate enters a 
Mason's lodge he dies to the world and rides the goat of initiation into 
the unknown mysteries which must forever be as sacred to him as 
death. 

In the quarter of death symbolized by the Spade (Acorn) the 
candidate soul learns the great grand lesson lhat man has a triune 
nature : Spirit, soul and body ; that the acorn as a symbol teaches that 
the outer shell corresponds with the outer body; that the kernel, or 
meat, corresponds with the spirit; that the germ corresponds with 
the soul ; that as we study the acorn we learn that it must die from the 
parent tree, be buried in the coid black earth, where it rots, disinte- 
grates and decays in order that the soul of it may come forth a new 
tree. 

Our candidate soul after many and repeated expressions finally 



SYMBOLISM 163 



learns to meet death fearlessly and with at least some degree of 
knowledge of what lies beyond the grave. He knows that death does 
not end all, that the change called death is only a change, not a de- 
struction or annihilation, that the veil between the two worlds is not al- 
together opaque. 

Having become a master of this quarter he can with a feeling 
of truth say, "I have died and been buried and having overcome the 
grave am now entitled to everlasting life." 

Death has no more terrors and our candidate, instead of being 
afraid of death, faces it with that bravery and candor only a fearless 
soul can know. The bravery is a result of knowledge, rather than 
fanaticism or blind faith, and gives to the possessor that respect for 
life which wisdom brings. He regards life in whatever form as Di- 
vine and entitled to liberty to express itself to the fullest extent of 
its opportunity. 

Even the most venomous reptile to him is entitled to liberty and 
freedom of expression. He sees God in everything. 

Laws are unnecessary to protect life at his hand : he is a law unto 
himself. As Emerson says : 

"He needs no army, fort or navy — he loves men too well; no 
bribe, or feast, or palace, to draw friends to him; no vantage ground, 
no favorable circumstance. He needs no library, for he has not done 
thinking; no church, for he is a prophet; no statute book, for he is the 
lawgiver ; no money, for he is value ; no road, for he is at home wher- 
ever he is; no experience, for the life of the creator shoots through 
him and looks from his eyes." 



164 



SYMBOLISM 




CHAPTER XIII. 



Jack of Hearts in Quarter of Love, Sign Aries — The Candi- 
date Is Still Imperfect — Having Overcome Death He Is 
Now Taught the Lesson of the Evergreen Leaf — He 
Learns to Walk With God — The Debris of Solomon's 
Temple, Human Thought — The Discovery and Raising of 
the Grand Master by the Candidate Himself — The Three 



T's. 



Having descended from the House of Libra down through the 
quarter of Death (Spades) covering six degrees, or one half of the 
grand circle, our candidate now appears as die Jack of Hearts in the 
sign Aries of the heart quarter or quarter of love. 

He is still struggling with his selfish nature, is more or less im- 
perfect, symbolized by the one eye. His divine power is still at his 
command, shown by the royal crown. He is still a searcher after light 
and a student willing to learn, manifested by the youthful face. His 



SYMBOLISM 165 



innocence is also shown by the beardless face. He faces the emblem 
of love, showing a desire to manifest that divine gift, but as the 
heart is really a picture of a flame of fire it is also a symbol of the 
soul being led by the light within, the fire of conscience. 

Our candidate has in his hand a sprig of acacia or evergreen leaf, 
a symbol of eternal life. This is given for his contemplation after 
the trying ordeal of passing through the quarter of Death. It is to 
remind him of the eternity of life and to be a mute witness of the 
eternal truth that to die is to live and to live is to die, and lest cur can- 
didate forget that "in the midst of life we are in death," he has as- 
sociated with him a beheading-ax. It is behind him, so he never 
knows when his life's journey may be cut short. 

A Savior or Christ are the duties of life imposed upon a soul that 
would express all that which is symbolized by the Jack of Hearts in 
this quarter; for he must express divine love consciously. To be 
more explicit, the soul here pictured is to heal the nations by the power 
of the spoken word. This is that power of love which is being ex- 
pressed by hundreds and thousands in the world to-day; it is called 
Magnetism, Divine Science, Christian Science, Mesmerism, Hypno- 
tism and Suggestion. All this, reduced to one creed, means "the power 
to speak the truth consciously." 

The sprig of acacia is a promise to him who will use this divine 
power for good of everlasting life ; he who uses his power for evil, in- 
tentionally, shall lose his life, as symbolized by the beheading-ax. 

Since starting on his journey in the sign Libra our candidate 
has passed six of the great signs of the Zodiac, has taken six degrees, 
and is now in the seventh. He descended through the six signs cover- 



166 SYMBOLISM 



ing the animal man, at the beginning of which are the kidneys, said 
to be the brains of procreation. 

There is a legend in connection with the building of King Solo- 
mon's temple to the effect that the architect of the temple was at- 
tacked by three ruffians and accidentally killed and that the body was 
buried in the "debris," the latter being very deep. But few readers 
of the legend ever stop to consider the utter impossibility of debris ac- 
cumulating where there is not the sound of any metal tool. They do 
not stop to reason that if there is no sawing, carving, splitting and hew- 
ing, there cannot possibly be any accumulation of debris. 

The debris referred to, then, must be of a nature different from 
that we are wont to ascribe to that term. 

The legend beautifully hides the truth and proves abundantly 
the wisdom of those ancient mystics who sought by means of legends 
and pictures to keep the light of truth forever burning on the altars of 
human brotherhood. 

As the kidneys are the brains of procreation it is through them 
that all human desire must find expression, and, as man's hopes, 
prayers and ambitions are born in his progeny, it is plain to see how 
that portion of the human anatomy from the kidneys down to the feet 
can be likened to the debris of a building, for so long as human 
thought is held above the waist line it is not a maker of waste or ani- 
mal matter. 

Adulteration does not consist in a union of the sexes but rather 
in the action of adulterated thought upon matter. Impure or adulter- 
ated thoughts, when born into flesh and blood, produce imperfect, sin- 
ful specimens of humanity. 

The creative power of the soul can be used for evil as well as for 



SYMBOLISM 167 



good, but evil can only be discovered from the standpoint of good and 
vice versa. The spirit of lies can only express itself truthfully as a lie. 

The world of matter, because of its changefulness and instability 
of form, is not the everlasting truth, and when the soul becomes en- 
tangled, as it were, in its meshes it may be said to "be buried in the 
debris of the temple." The legend, however, goes on to state that the 
architect was "discovered" and raised from the supposed dead state. 
This discovery and raising from the dead is nicely symbolized by the 
Jack of Hearts in the sign Aries, it being the seventh sign from Libra 
counting the latter one, Taurus two, and Saggltarius three. 

The "discovery" is made by the candidate himself when, find- 
ing himself in the quarter of divine love, symbolized by the heart, and 
realizing that he has successfully passed through the quarter of Death, 
has actually died, been buried, and still lives, he awakens to the grand 
realization that in order to express divine love he must see in every 
man that same spark of divine fire he knows shines within himself. 

He makes the "discovery" that he is himself an expression of the 
word: that every human being has the same source as himself, that 
each and every soul is a worker in the universal temple. He makes 
the "discovery" that every human soul is a brother or sister journeying 
toward the same goal, each following the light within according to the 
dictates of his own conscience; each actuated by the same divine fire 
and, whether the results of their actions be for right or wrong, they 
are still entitled to brotherly love which includes forgiveness. 

Hmanity reads the story of Christ and admires the example set. 

Doctors of Divinity say that He set the pattern of salvation, but 
who among poor humanity can forgive the ordinary criminal ? Much 



168 SYMBOLISM 



less if nailed to the cross could they from their innermost soul say, 
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?" 

It is in this seventh degree or first house in the quarter of Love 
that the Jack of Hearts truly pictures forth the lesson which man 
must discover for himself that he is his own dear Savior, and in order 
to save himself he must forgive sin wherever it may exist; but first 
of all, before he can forgive sin in others, he must know his own sins 
have been forgiven, and this forgiveness of his sins is symbolized by 
the sprig of acacia. Having purified himself by passing through the 
quarter of death and having come into a conscious realization of his 
son-ship of God, he is now prepared to become a co-worker with God. 

To do God's will then in the forgiveness of sin is the grand les- 
son of this combined symbol. 

The three ruffians spoken of in the legend as having killed the 
architect are FEAR, IGNORANCE and SELFISHNESS, some- 
times referred to as the three "J"s. 

These three principles, when given full expression, will so encase 
the soul in quagmires of matter as to make it necessary that a Christ 
come to the rescue. 

Through fear that the needs of to-morrow will not be supplied, 
man becomes selfish and distrustful, tyrannical and inhuman, forget- 
ting the rights of his fellow man and even perjuring his own soul in his 
mad desire to gratify his selfish nature. 

Because of his ignorance of the laws of his own being he suffers 
sickness and deformities and dies prematurely. 

Because of these three ruffians human laws are necessary. 

Lawmakers do not enact laws for their own personal government 
but for the government of their fellowman. The candidate for office 



SYMBOLISM 169 



never asks for the suffrages of his constituents in order that he may 
enact laws for himself. It is his neighbor he wishes to control, and the 
root of his desires is in one or all of the three ruffians. 

Statutes are not made for statute makers. 

Our candidate has made the grand discovery that he has eternal 
life and walks with God, is a co-worker of God, knowing the law of 
good and evil. Still he must suffer the humiliation of having the 
finger of scorn pointed at him and hear the ignorant rabble shouting 
"He saved others, himself he cannot save," 



170 



SYMBOLISM 




CHAPTER XIV. 

Jack of Clubs, Quarter of Wisdom, Sign Cancer — The Candi- 
date Takes the Degree of Perfection and Is Crowned 
With Life Everlasting — The True Lesson of the Cable 
Tow Is Revealed — The Legend of Osiris and Isis — The 
Zodiacal Sign of the Crab (Cancer) a Symbol Teaching 
the Same Lesson as the Cable Tow — The Candidate Soul 
Discovers and Lays Hold of His Own Heart — He Becomes 
the Word — An Ancient Badge of a Free and Accepted 
Mason. 



Having descended through the "debris" of the temple of hu- 
man thought and having been raised from the dead, he now starts on 
the upward journey through the quarter of love (Hearts), having for 
his goal the House or degree of Cancer, symbolized by the Crab in 
the quarter of Clubs (wisdom). 

Here our candidate, as the Jack of Clubs, shows that he has 



SYMBOLISM 171 



profited by his experiences and is now perfect, having discovered that 
which he sought. His perfection is symbolized by the two eyes. 

He has returned to his pristine innocence, purity and virtue, sym- 
bolized by the youthful and beardless face. He is of God and t>till has 
authority, shown by the court crown. No longer, however, is life a 
mystery, for he wears the sprig of evergreen in his crown, indicating 
he has been crowned with life everlasting. 

To the sum of all his experiences and, notwithstanding he is con- 
sciously walking with God and doing God's will, he still desires more 
light, and stands at the door of the temple knocking for admittance 
into those recesses where can be found the Jewel of precious knowledge 
he now realizes has been left behind. The face is turned away from 
the (Club) emblem of knowledge, this attitude showing that the past 
as well as the future holds its lessons of worth. In this degree our 
candidate discovers the real lesson taught by the Cable Tow. He now 
sees that it has grown longer and larger each succeeding degree. 

The Cable Tow is a symbol of the one connecting ray of remem- 
brance that furnishes a means by which may be registered the many 
trials and tribulations of the soul in its contact with mater. 

Thus we are told in the Egyptian sacred legend that Osiris (the 
sun) was slain by Typhon, a gigantic monster typical of darkness and 
the evil power of nature. The body was placed in a chest, thrown into 
the River Nile and swept out to sea. 

Isis (the moon) ransacks the whole earth in search of the body 
which she finally finds horribly mutilated. She joins the severed parts 
and raises him to life again. The legend is a beautiful symbol beauti- 
fully hiding the truth: The four elements are four great solvents: 
water will in time reduce all material forms to their atomic construe- 



172 SYMBOLISM 



tion. Animal bodies, when buried in the earth, soon rot and pass back 
to their former chemical properties, to be re-embodied into other forms, 
but the soul of man, being neither positive nor negative, is immune 
from the powers of attraction and repulsion and cannot, therefore, be 
dissolved by the elements. Even the element, fire, has no effect on the 
soul. The vibrations of soul are many millions times greater than the 
vibrations of fire, even of the degree of heat necessary to melt metals. 

The author has asked many Masons and searched many publica- 
tions for a true definition of the Cable Tow, but has found no one who 
recognizes it as teaching the Law of Re-embodiment or Re-incarnation. 
Each strand of the Cable Tow symbolizes a life or expression of the 
soul, each expression binding the soul to that particular epoch. Each 
span of life . (even though it may be an hundred years) is but a mo- 
ment in the eternity of time, and each life is so impinged upon the 
future as to be a part of it, the same as each hour of the day is but a 
small fraction of the whole ; as each day may be viewed in its entirety 
from any one hour, so may the life of a soul be viewed in its entirety — 
when the soul has arrived at that degree of unfoldment here symbol- 
ized by the Jack of Clubs in the sign of the Crab. 

The esoteric meaning of this sign of the Zodiac is quite signifi- 
cant. The crab is so constructed that it goes forward or backward with 
equal agility. Indeed, its make-up is such that it matters not in what 
direction it goes it is always forward. It is a symbol of that degree 
of unfoldment which must come to every soul when it sees for a cer- 
tainty the infinite past and the eternal future. A condition arrived at 
which will permit the candidate soul to exclaim knowingly : "Before 
Abraham was I am." It comes into a definite and conscious realiza- 
tion of the fact that time is a measurement of moving bodies and has 



SYMBOLISM 173 



no place in eternity; that in the realm of soul there is no time, and 
that all the eternities are merged into Now. 

The candidate soul learns the lesson of purpose and finds that 
"that which is to be will be and that which has been was to be." 

The Cable Tow, he discovers, is only a symbol of the law of 
Karma, and he rejoices in the conscious return into at-one-ment with 
God or himself. He now sees himself from his beginning. And as he 
looks back over the endless Cable Tow, he sees that its other end 
merges into the immediate future; then, contemplating the future or 
scrutinizing his Cable Tow stretching before him, he discovers it to be 
a circle, every portion of which is a beginning and ending in himself. 

Having now made the discovery within himself of that which he 
has sought, he is no longer satisfied with "substitute" knowledge. 

He now knows the truth regarding his own being. He has the 
Key that will unlock for him the mysteries of the future — and the 
vaults of the dead past. No one has given him this key; he has dis- 
covered it for himself, for it is himself. No one could give it. 

He sees how valuable every experience has been, whether it be 
an experience of joy or sorrow. 

He sees how every jot and tittle of his life, or many lives, in this 
world or on many worlds have dovetailed, one into the other, and how 
essential every experience was in order that he might arrive at his 
present unfoldment exactly on time. 

Having made this discovery of his own immortality, he boldly 
lays hold of his own heart and cries, "Eureka, Eureka." 

Knowing that the fountain of life resides within himself, that its 
waters are pure or defiled according to his own thought he comes into 
a realization of the fact that he is now a Free Mason and no longer 
bound by the cable tow of necessity. 



174 SYMBOLISM 



Being a free worker in the great temple of the Universe, and 
knowing that every soul is, like himself, of God, and destined for the 
same goal, he needs take no obligation to regard man as his brother; 
neither must he be sworn to protect the virtue of woman, because he 
sees in every woman his own mother, sister or daughter, and in every 
man a brother. 

The discovery of these virtues within himself is not sufficient. 
He must incorporate them into his life by living them in his daily 
contact with humanity and wherever there is a weak strand in his 
Cable Tow of lives, such as a broken pledge, or an injury done an- 
other, his armor will be tested at the weakest part by some temptation 
great enough to test its breaking power. Should he fail to stand the 
test he must be re-bound by being re-born, and perhaps live a whole 
life for the accomplishment of one purpose. 

If he stand the test and prove himself worthy, he then becomes 
a Free and Accepted Mason worthy to teach by example rather than 
by precept. 

He becomes a teacher of souls rather than men, and his home 
a universe, rather than a world. He becomes The Word — knowing 
the truth he speaks truth, and whatsoever he sayeth is true, and what- 
soever he doeth, he knows is done for eternity. Realizing this responsi- 
bility his wisdom ripens into silence and when he speaks to the multi- 
tude he speaks in symbols, knowing they could not comprehend the 
truth. 

Having become a Free and Accepted Mason he is entitled to wear 
the breast-plate, the ancient badge of Free and Accepted Masons, seen 
upon the King of Clubs. 



SYMBOLISM 175 




This badge, when analyzed, reveals the circle of infinity, which is 
bisected by a horizontal line. The upper and lower halves of the 
sphere would then be symbols of the two great laws of nature : male 
and female, light and darkness, etc. The horizontal line is intersected 
by a perpendicular one producing the tau cross. The perpendicular 
line being a symbol of spirit, the horizontal line that of matter. Taken 
together the two lines mean the "descent of spirit into matter." The 
two triangles are symbols of the triune nature of man; also the posi- 
tive, negative and neutral qualities of matter. When interlaced these 
two triangles become the six pointed star equal to the six visible signs 
of the Zodiac, since we can see only one half of this sphere — the other 
six signs being on the reverse side. Upon the horizontal line will be 
seen five little spheres — seven spheres in all. These are the seven 
planets of this solar Universe. Over and above all is a rude resem- 
blance to a bird just taking wing. 

This badge when interpreted means that the wearer has traveled 
the road of infinity; has discovered the light in darkness; has mastered 
the stars and now controls them by causing matter to obey his will. 
He is therefore free as a bird to go from planet to planet at will, to 



: 7 6 



SYMBOLISM 



build for himself a body out of the elements he finds there, and does 
not of a necessity have to be born of woman. 

He does not make his appearance among mortals except at great 
intervals, and then only to teach some great lesson or right a wrong. 

Such a soul was the Nazarene. 

I know of no better way to illustrate the continuity of life than 
by the accompanying illustration. 




Here is shown a flat surface with two openings and an endless chord 
reaching from one to the other — a hidden hand draws the chord. The 
observer sees it enter or come into view at one opening and pass out of 
sight at the other. The observer knows not the length of the chord 
behind the surface. So we see life born into the world of matter. We 
see it pass out through the world of matter, and from that little short 
span we get a knowledge of the whole. 

As the assayer determines the value of the mother lode by the 
sample, so we may know life and our relation to it by a study of the 
specimen God gives us from birth to death. Thus it will be seen that 
the whole object of Masonry, as taught in the various degrees, is told 
in the Deck of Cards by means of pictures. The story is elaborated 
and more fully explained by associating the emblems with the various 



SYMBOLISM 177 



signs of the Zodiac taking care the cards are placed in those signs 
whose esoteric meaning co-ordinates with the hidden language of the 
card. 



178 SYMBOLISM 



CHAPTER XV. 



A J3rief Glimpse at the Esoteric Meaning of the Signs of the 
Zodiac — Aries, the Head, Signifies Strategy, Service and 
Soul Power; Also the Christ Principle — Cancer, the 
Breasts, Concentration, Service and Christ — Libra, the 
Reins, Teach Self Judgment, Service of an Unpleasant 
Nature — To Lose the Power of One's Kidneys Is to Lose 
One's Life — Why a Mason Should Protect His Kidneys — 
Capricorn, the Knees, Symbol of Reflection, Introspec- 
tion — A Symbol of the Committee of Investigation — The 
Four Mental Signs, Homes of the Four Knaves, Combine 
to Make True Birthplaces for the Only Divine Calling, 
That of the Lawyer. 

A still larger degree of unf oldment and a more elaborate explana- 
tion is had by considering the functions of that portion of the Grand 
Man of the Zodiac found in the various Zodiacal signs. 

In astrology the sign Aries is always the "rising sign," and in 
connection with this sign is associated the head of the Archetypal or 
Grand Man. It is not the purpose of the author to explain here the 
astrological significance of the Zodiacal signs ; such explanation would 
extend this book beyond the confines of one ordinary volume. To 
give the reader an insight into the beauties of symbolic readings I 
will explain the four signs already partly considered in connection 
with the four Jacks. 



SYMBOLISM 179 



ARIES, THE RAM. 

If we study the character of the ram we will have revealed to us 
several strong and prominent features. It fights all its battles with its 
head, which esoterically means strategy. No greater strategy was ever 
used than by the Nazarene when answering by symbols the questions 
put to him. Those symbols have proven the world's greatest myster- 
ies, yet, on the other hand, they were not mysteries at all. 

Of the animal kingdom the lamb is regarded as the most docile. 

"Be as meek as a lamb" is the divine injunction. "If smitten on 
one cheek turn the other." "Resist not temptation." 

The ram has remarkable genital organs, indicative of great soul 
power. Christ said "I and my father are one" — showing he was con- 
scious of his unity with God, the soul of the Universe, source of all 
strength. 

The chief characteristic of the ram is that its life seems to be di- 
rected toward the growing of a fleece of wool which it annually sheds 
among the bushes and briars of its native pasture land, thus affording 
a warm housing for the beasts of the field and the birds of the air to 
build their nests for their young. 

Man, interfering with nature's laws, steps in and forcibly robs 
the ram of this coat and weaves it into garments and articles of per- 
sonal adornment. Thus the ram devotes its life to the service of the 
whole animal world. 

"He who would be greatest among you let him be your servant." 

In the sign Aries is the head of the Grand Man; this, being the 
seat of the brain, is also the seat of government of the body, the place 
of authority. The Ruler of all Rulers is Christ the spiritual King, Son 



i8o SYMBOLISM 



of God. Through the head (mouth) does all food pass into the body, 
and in the process of mastication it is tasted or tested before its in- 
corporation into the body. Christ said, "I am the door," "I am the 
way." 

• By means of the five senses, all of which are centered in the 
head, we see our way through the world of matter, and thus Aries may 
be said to be the home or window of the soul. 

In the east then, where the sign Aries is always rising (the house 
of the soul) sits the grand master dispensing light, symbolized by the 
heart in this quarter. 

CANCER, THE CRAB. 

As has been previously shown, the crab is a symbol of that soul 
growth when the past and future become merged into the present and 
the soul realizes that Now is eternity, and that time is only an illusion 
of the mortal mind. It is a symbol of the infinite broken into frag- 
ments, but still a unity, as there is one humanity but many units. 

In this sign are the breasts of the Grand Man. It is the duty and 
function of the mammal glands to collect the milk (which of course 
by its chemical properties represents all portions of the body), bring 
it to a small point or focus and give of that life substance freely to the 
suckling infant, who must suck in a proper manner in order to be fed. 

Thus the breasts, like the head, teach the lesson of service, and 
also those other maxims : "Knock and it shall be opened unto you," 
"Seek and ye shall find." Christ said, "Behold, I stand at the door 
and knock." Which means that the soul or conscience of every man 
stands ready and responsive to grant any prayer. 



SYMBOLISM 181 



LIBRA, THE SCALES. 

Esoterically the scales signify Divine Justice. Being metallic they 
have no sentiment to express, hence will serve the just and the un- 
just alike. 

From the mystic's standpoint they signify self -weighing, or to 
quote a Divine injunction, "Judge not that ye be not judged," but they 
are there in the heavens and they are for use by every soul born into 
matter. They teach that lesson taught by the Nazarene when, the 
sinning woman being brought before Him, he asked, "Who accuseth 
this woman?" and when no one answered He said "Neither do I ac- 
cuse thee." 

The kidneys are said to contain gray matter similar to that in the 
brain. They are directly connected with the genital organs, hence 
are said to be the "brains of procreation." Thus, as a symbol, they 
teach again the work of salvation. The great teacher said he came to 
save the world from death, and until this law of the soul is under- 
stood, until man comes into a full knowledge of his birthright, 
"rebirth" through this door will be necessary. But the kidneys have 
another function to perform. They are the great natural magnets of 
the body, automatically attracting impure gases and foul liquors, and 
by chemical process producing a purifying effect. Thus the work of 
the kidneys, in conjunction with the bowels, is to take the offal or ex- 
crement from the body for the body's sake. 

The same service for humanity was said to have been performed 
by the Nazarene. He was offered a cup of gall to drink. He drank — 
and, in verse, in song, we are said to be "washed" by the blood of 
Jesus. 



182 SYMBOLISM 



Into the waters of life all souls are baptized: thus the kidneys 
become a door to the temple and each and every soul becoming a 
worker in the grand temple of the Universe comes in through this 
gateway and takes upon itself the cross of matter, symbolized by the 
Diamond. 

Man's power to reproduce lies in his kidneys. To lose the power 
of one's kidneys, then, is to lose one's life, to become incompetent. To 
dissipate this power is to commit moral suicide. To protect man from 
the dogs of lust and sensuality every Mason is bound to protect the 
wife, mother, sister and daughter of every other Mason. Having been 
taught that every man is his brother, this obligation imposes upon a 
Mason the most virtuous life. 

To become a worker in the temple of the Lord the candidate 
must be perfect and competent. This perfection is symbolized by the 
two eyes of the Jack of Diamonds and his competency by the quiver 
of arrows, showing he has power to take life or to refrain and thus 
give life. 

To discover the secret of the kidneys is to discover the fountain 
of perpetual youth. For the spirit of God moveth upon the face of 
the waters no more in the beginning of time than at present. Man, 
being the spoken word of God the following rule of the Ancients will 
be recognized in its application here : 

"No word is efficacious in magic unless it be first quickened 
by the word of God." 

The explanation of the secret is that nature is a great laboratory ; 
that man is the natural magician working out a purpose with such ele- 
ments as he finds here. 

Should he fail to recognize the quickening spirit of God in his 



SYMBOLISM 183 



own waters of life, he becomes separated from God, or sexed, and to 
become sexed is to become divided, and when a soul becomes sepa- 
rated from God it is imperfect. 

As man allows his animal, or sexual nature, to dominate he be- 
comes buried, as it were, in the cross of matter, (symbolized by the 
Diamond), and with that imperfection still clinging to him he strives 
to solve the problem of death. 

CAPRICORN. 

The character that represents this sign is so made as to indicate 
a hinge, which esoterically means "to turn back upon itself." This 
again means introspection, reflection, contemplation; to hold one's 
self up as a mirror for examination. 

A true Capricorn person is willing to pay all obligations; will 
even lay down his life in payment of a debt of honor. 

The soul who lost his perfection by becoming sexed is symbol- 
ized in Capricorn by the Jack of Spades, who has but one eye. Christ 
himself was imperfect and he said "none is righteous ; no, not one." 

The knees are the feet of prayer, and as they turn and twist it is a 
type of the introspection of the soul, a searching for the records of 
one's life. It typifies the work of the "committee of investigation," 
who are sent out to ascertain that the applicant is prompted by pure 
and holy motives and has as a citizen been free from crime and met his 
least obligations. 

Capricorn is the mental sign in the quarter of death (symbolized 
by the Spade) , and when a soul would learn the secrets of this quarter 
he must be willing to be led by the light of his own soul. 



184 SYMBOLISM 



Thus his material eyes are blindfolded; metaphorically he rides 
Capricornus — the Goat. In other words, the sins of the world are 
left behind and the Goat or Capricorn becomes the scapegoat. 

But the Goat, in symbol, has much to teach us. He is a sure 
footed animal, symbolizing that man may rot guess at the laws of 
God, but must make sure by testing the spirit to see if it be of God. 
This does not imply that some other spirit is to be tested or that some 
departed spirit is to be tested. It means that man must test his own 
spirit, make sure that his every motive is for good, and when he 
knows he is walking with God he can, like the Goat, climb to great 
heights without losing his head or becoming insane as many people do 
on religious questions. 

It was Emerson who said : "High be his heart, faithful his will, 
clear his sight that he may in good earnest be doctrine, society and law 
to himself, who has ventured to trust himself for a task-master." 

The Goat climbs to great hights, leaps off shelving rocks, strik- 
ing on its head many feet below and escapes unhurt ; in fact, its head 
is used as a sort of cushion to alight on when necessary to leap from 
some projecting cliff to the terraces below. 

So the soul of man, after reaching great hights of soul power, 
may find it necessary for its own further development to "leap off 
and go down among the lowest depths of humanity and work in the 
vilest conditions without becoming contaminated by the contact. 

Such souls are truly light-bearers. 

Again the Goat is a great scavenger; he eats anything and every- 
thing, and never seems to get enough. 

This is a type of that nature of the 30ul which prompts it to 
search in all directions for truth; to investigate all religions, taking 



SYMBOLISM 185 



from each one that which appeals to him as true and allowing no one 
creed or ism to claim his entire attention to such extent as to make him 
uncharitable to his fellow man. 

When Christ was asked to give them a sign when they might 
look for the coming of the Lord He answered and said : "No man 
knoweth when the Son of Man cometh." This indicates that the 
secret of God's appearance among men was not entrusted to any one 
sect or ism. 

Those who know God need no salvation. 

"The knowledge of evil is not evil but the practice of it." 

The twisting and turning principle of Capricorn; the strategy 
of Aries; the justice of Libra, coupled with the historical character of 
Cancer ; these combine to make the homes of the four Jacks or Knaves 
true birthplaces for the only Divine calling there is. 

With due respect to the profession of the doctor, and a recogni- 
tion of the sacredness of the "calling" of the priest or preacher, there 
is but one profession Divine : that one is the law. 

The great and prominent characters of the Bible are lawyers, be- 
cause of their knowledge of God's laws, rather than their preaching 
and healing powers. Moses never practiced medicine nor preached a 
sermon, yet he delivered the entire statutes of God on two marble 
slabs. 

When we are sick we ask the doctor to show us his diploma (au- 
thority) and inform us of what "pathy" he is; whether he is of the new 
school or the old. We know we are sick but we are particular as to the 
means employed to make us well. There are many diseases, a school 
of cure and a remedy for each. 

When the sins of the body weigh heavy and the thread of life is 



i86 SYMBOLISM 



nearly spun and we instinctively turn toward Heaven, we ask the 
preacher or priest of what creed or ism he is. We know we are 
sinners, wanting and needing forgiveness, and while the great teacher 
said there was but one way there seems to be a multitude of light 
bearers. Each and all claim to have the only light; each would ex- 
tinguish the others' lights. The sinner stands apart. He is ready to 
follow a true bearer of the light, but is forced to perish, a mute wit- 
ness to the struggle between isms, knowing not which to follow, since 
all claim the same authority for a different form of salvation. 

But when we transgress the law and get into trouble we do not 
ask the lawyer to show his certificate of authority. 

We do not ask for his alma mater. We know there is but one 
law, and that law Divine; its name is Justice. Mortals are wont to 
symbolize Justice by a female figure holding a pair of balances in the 
hand, but the sinner and the sinned against look to the lawyer as 
knowing how to intercede with the court ; believing him to be on "f a- 
miliar" terms with the highest tribunal and able to expound the law of 
equity between man and man. 

Thus the lawyer is, in human affairs, what the Christ is in spir- 
itual affairs and the conscience is in personal matters — a mediator. 

Christ never placed the importance upon his healing and preach- 
ing that he did upon the law he brought. "He that knoweth the law 
is become the law." 

God's laws are like the public domain — open for settlement to 
every one. The settler must first make a "discovery" of unoccupied 
land. He must file his intentions with the public recorder setting 
forth his purpose. He must then improve the land by cultivation and 
adornment; by building his home upon it; after a full and complete 



SYMBOLISM 187 



compliance with all the conditions of the land office, a clear title is 
given and it is his forever, because he has earned it by becoming one 
with it. 

The body is an expression of the conscience or soul. Spencer 

says: 

"So every spirit as it is most pure, 

And hath in it the more of heavenly light, 

So it the fairer body doth procure 

To habit in, and it more fairly dight 

With cheerful grace and amiable sight, 

For of the soul the body form doth take, 

For soul is form, and doth the body make." 



188 SYMBOLISM 



PART VII. 

THE MYSTERIOUS WORD 
WHICH HAS BEEN MADE SO 
MUCH OF IS EXPLAINED BY 
THE KABALISTIC CHART 
HERE INTRODUCED TO THE 
NOTICE OF THE READER— 
THIS CHART IS ALMOST SELF- 
EXPLANATORY AND YET TO 
THE INEXPERIENCED SYMBOL 
READER IT REVEALS BUT 
LITTLE— IT PROVES HOW 
THOROUGHLY KNOWLEDGE 
MAY BE BOTH CONCEALED 
AND REVEALED BY THE SAME 
SYMBOL. 



SYMPOLISM 189 



CHART NO. 2; OR THE LETTER G. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

A Kabalistic Chart — Geometry and Masonry Synonymous — 
The Tarot— Evolution and War — Faith the Foundation 
of All Endeavor — The Heart a Picture of Love- -Gold 
and God Polar Orposites — Hyram Abif and the Soul 
Shown To Be One and the Same. 

This chart, like all combinations of mystical hieroglyphs, beggars 
description. 

It is a study, and the student of mystics will find much inspira- 
tion resulting from its earnest contemplation. 

The numbered squares, the Tarot, have relation to the deck of 
cards; they are not essential to the chart, nor can they be compre- 
hended by any except those who have been instructed in the esoteric 
laws symbolized by the cards. 

If the reader, however, is desirous of proof that the universe is 
governed by law, that there is no such thing as chance, that he himself 
is an expression of the word, that the deck of cards furnishes the key 
to the secrets of his own soul, let him take a deck of cards and ''quad- 
rate' ' it, first by threes, then by ones. 

To quadrate, deal the cards by threes into four piles until only 
four cards remain. These four last are placed one at a time on the 
four piles. Now gather them up by placing parcel No. 2 on top of 
parcel No. 1. Next on top place No. 3, on top of all place No. 4. Now 
quadrate by dealing one at a time and gathering them up as before. It 



190 SYMBOLISM 



will be seen that the first card, or that on top of the pack at the com- 
mencement, has gone to the twenty-seventh place, the second card has 
gone to the fourteenth place, the third card has gone to first place, and 
so on. See Tarot marked "ist Quad. Neg." 

This explanation throws but little light on the subject; it does, 
however, furnish a key to the earnest student. 

There are forty-nine squares (or tiles) in each Tarot presented, 
exclusive of the three squares at the top. 

There are seven planets in our solar universe. Each planet has 
seven squares, three of which are positive, three negative and one 
neutral. 

The three squares at the top represent the sun, moon and earth. 
Consider that our alphabet contains twenty-six letters, that when 
these letters are arranged according to their positive and negative 
nature in these fifty-two squares, each square, or "tile," will be oc- 
cupied by a letter, each letter being a symbol of a universal law. 

Consider further that this Tarot is only a picture in miniature of 
the universal lodge room in which we are all busily engaged carry- 
ing out the desires and calculations of the Grand Master. As the 
planets move in their orbits forming "con junctions," "squares," and 
"trines," humanity moves too in accordance with these influences, 
each individual forming new relations with his fellow man. Each new 
move or change of location places him in a different cube or square 
of the temple. Each new relation brings with it new obligations, new 
duties and their consequent rewards. 

Each individual member of the human family has a number and 
a name. Each is constantly changing from one "tile" to another or 
from one "square" to another, and while his number and name re- 



SYMBOLISM 191 



main the same the psychic influences are constantly changing. These 
forty-nine squares are mathematically the measure of a man; the ad- 
ditional three squares, fifty-two in all, are for the placing of the 
three great lights of the temple, the three rulers who held the great 
secret. 

To illustrate more fully: A city is divided into blocks or 
squares, each one of which is numbered on the city plat or map. Each 
block is again divided into lots, each lot having also a number. Then 
each lot is divided into feet, and the feet into inches. And each inch 
has its name and number and exact place in the city. 

The Tarots here shown are the minor divisions of the Universal 
City. The deck of cards, being a mathematical book as well as astro- 
nomical, they will when properly mixed, quadrated and spread out, 
one card on each of the fifty-two squares, reveal to the. reader of sym- 
bols the exact location in this Universal City of the person so handling 
them. They will reveal the individual's relation to the rest of the 
world. They will prophesy the future and lay bare the past. 

The letter G so sacred to Masonry has reference to the science 
of Geometry. 

In times gone by Masonry and Geometry were synonymous 
terms : the method of measuring one's own self in his relation with the 
rest of the world, by assuming new duties and new obligations, each 
new obligation becoming a new law to the individual, hence a new 
Masonic word. 

Pythagoras said: "The word is number manifested by form/* 
He also said : "There is the word that expresses, the word that con- 
ceals, and the word that signifies." 

If the reader can now realize that there is no waste in nature 



i 9 2 SYMBOLISM 



either of matter, of force, of act or of thought, and that every act is 
eternally registered, he will have some conception of why geometry 
should be revered as a sacred science. 

The stars of heaven are peopled worlds whose thoughts reach 
unto us upon the wings of light. We are influenced by them, they 
by us. Geometry teaches the relation of these bodies to each other. 
We are inhabitants not of this world alone, but of the whole starry 
universe. To die upon one planet or world means to be born upon 
another. 

A man gives his note for time, his word for eternity. He who 
prefers the written obligation to the spoken word knows not the law 
of geometry. 

The soul, when conceived, is baptized into the three elements, 
earth, fire and water. These three elements are symbolized by the tri- 
angle, the points of which impinge upon their word equivalents at the 
points of contact; at the letter "R" in the word earth, "A" in the 
word water and "I" in the word fire. After nine months of gestation 
(or temple building by the soul) the diaphragm expands and the 
fourth element, A. I. R., is added to the first three, and that which 
was a triangle or circle (inclosure) becomes a square by the addition 
of this fourth element. At the points of the triangle will be seen the 
three letters that spell the name of the fourth element. 

The soul is a Master Builder because it has caused fire and water 
(bitter enemies) to love each other and to serve its wish in the 
building of the human temple. 

When the fourth element, "Air," is introduced at the time of 
birth, the soul functioning from the navel, or solar plexus, may be 
said to have "raised a dead thing to life," for without the presence 



SYMBOLISM 393 



of the living soul the four elements composing the body would be 
dead inanimate matter. Having taken upon itself the cross of mat- 
ter the soul begins its work of "Evolution' ' or raising from a lower 
to a higher degree. It has come from the regions of light or soul. 
It has been born blindfolded or ignorant. The world of matter is the 
world of shadow and darkness, therefore the soul cries cut con- 
stantly for more light, more knowledge, more wisdom. 

By referring to the chart it will be noticed that the first letter E 
of the word evolution is in the sign Aries. The second letter (V) is 
in the sign Taurus and the third letter (O) in the sign Gemini. The 
entire word occupies nine of the twelve signs of the Zodiac. The 
other three signs are occupied by the three letters W. A. R. 

Evolution must of necessity produce discord or WAR; on the 
other hand, WAR results in evolution. 

Take the first four letters of the word evolution and read them 
according to one of the Hebrew rules (backward) and we have the 
word LOVE, the antipode of WAR. 

PSYCHIC QUARTER. 

It is the psychic nature that loves, and the reader will notice 
that in the psychic quarter in the first degree of Aries is the word 
FAITH. In this quarter also is a picture of a flame of fire or a heart. 
LOVE is the vehicle by which faith travels. How could love be more 
fittingly symbolized than by making a picture of a heart, and in what 
manner could life, motion, vibration, be more intelligently suggested 
than by a candle flame ? FAITH then is the all impelling power that 
caused the word to go thundering through space and matter. Faith is 
the great prerequisite of all endeavor. Faith followed by inspiration 



:94 SYMBOLISM 



brings resolution and resolution EARNESTLY kept will reveal the 
TRUTH. 

Truth once discovered brings to the hungry soul that satisfac- 
tion which can only be known by the possession of it and results in 
worship of the provider. Therefore, no sooner does a soul realize its 
separateness from God than it begins the struggle to return. 

Faith being the only power, and love the only medium. 

In the psychic quarter are mentioned such principles, arts, sci- 
ences and qualities as constitute soul growth. 

MINERALJ2UARTER. 

It is the psychic or soul-world acting upon, in, and through, 
the mineral kingdom that causes the world of matter. 

GOLD is the base of the mineral kingdom; it will crystallize in 
imitation of all other metals. It is the most universal of all. 

Although there are many other simple substances, so called, 
none is absolutely simple, as gold fluxes with all. Gold may be called 
the polar opposite of God; it is as natural for man to love and seek 
gold as to love and seek God. 

Metals crystallize, chemicalize and vaporize, thus forming com- 
binations and stratifications producing, after long epochs of time, cer- 
tain conditions of FORM. 

I Kings vii:i3-i4: "And King Solomon sent and fetched Hiram 
out of Tyre. He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his 
father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with 
wisdom and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. 
And he came to King Solomon, and wrought all his work." 

Brass being a combination of many metals, it is easy to see 



SYMBOLISM 195 



that the Hiram spoken of is the soul. It builds for itself a body out 
of the metals and crystals of earth. Indeed, without these metals, 
which have the power to not only take form but hold it, there 
would be no such thing as body building; no such thing as crystal- 
lization ; no such thing as growth ; development and evolution would 
be unknown. To work among metals and crystals, causing them 
to arrange themselves in obedience to will power is a part of the grand 
plan of evolution. 

That which can be described by a straight line or circle is an ex- 
pression of the WORD. 



196 SYMBOLISM 



CHART NO. 2; LETTER G— CONTINUED. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Gender in Vegetation — The Wonderful Multiplying Powers 
of Cereals — The Vegetable Kingdom Expresses a Part of 
the Grand Word — Struggle and Strife Necessary to 
Growth — In the Animal World Only Does War Exist — 
When a Brain Has Been Evolved and Prepared, Then the 
Soul Takes Possession — The Human Soul Never Incar- 
nated in Anything Less Than the Human Animal — 
Names as Symbols — Names Like the Grand Word in Three 
Parts. 

VEGETABLE QUARTER. 

In the journey of evolution gender makes its first appearance 
in the vegetable kingdom. The mineral kingdom merges into the 
vegetable so unconsciously and with so little effort on Nature's 
part, that it is difficult to tell just where the two worlds meet. 

All the cereals that ripen in the sunshine have great reproductive 
powers; some scientists claim that because of the wonderful multiply- 
ing powers of grains they are such good food products. Of course 
it is a far cry from the mineral kingdom to wheat; the reader, how- 
ever, should not think for one moment that in the process of evolution 
a single gap or missing link exists. Suggestions only are made in 
the chart. 

For the student, however, who will accept a "suggestion" and 
then contemplate upon it, nature has much in store. 



SYMBOLISM 197 



In the vegetable quarter are included the three zodiacal signs 
Libra, Scorpio and Saggitarius, the former being the sign of the kid- 
neys, or "brains of sexation," and Scorpio, the sign of the sex organs. 

Regenerate, rebuild, renew, remake, is the language of these 
signs. 

In the vegetable kingdom, however, there is no throbbing brain, 
nor pulsating heart to record or express sentiment. Each and every 
kind reproduces its species without slightest variation for many gen- 
erations. Left alone the tendency is to retrograde rather than ad- 
vance, and unless something be added from above the species finally 
dies out. The law for this is that to reproduce is really to divide, and 
division means subtraction. 

The vegetable, having no sentiment to express nor Karmic debts 
to pay, labors to perfect its form and reproduce its kind in seed and 
tuber according to its ancestral law. It produces the same seed and the 
same number of seeds season after season; the same stalk, stem and 
leaf. The vegetable is not concerned as to what its name may be. It 
puts forth its whole endeavor in perfect imitation of its parent fiber in 
reproduction of flower, fruit and seed. 

NUMBER and FORM is that part of the WORD the vegetable 
world is called upon to express. How perfectly and faithfully she 
performs these duties is apparent to the student of nature, when we 
consider the slight imperfections noticeable; particularly when we 
consider the seismic disturbances occurring in all parts of the world 
at all times. Without these atmospheric disturbances no doubt vegeta- 
tion would be perfect; in form at least. The botanist knows the tree 
by the fruit, flower, seed or leaf. He reads the history of a plant from 
a tiny petal. 



198 SYMBOLISM 



The metallurgist in his laboratory, from grains of sand, reads 
backward the history of the world's growth and development. Every 
crystal brings to him a true record of its life and teaches unerringly 
that "Each expression of the WORD has a NAME, a NUMBER 
and a FORM, by any one of which it may be known." 

ANIMAL QUARTER. 

As we pass from the vegetable quarter to a consideration of the 
animal quarter, we pass from the word EVOLUTION and are 
brought face to face with that most cruel of all words, WAR. Evolu- 
tion results in war, and war results in evolution. Struggle and strife, 
discord and enmity, are necessary to growth. 

Without trimming, pruning, grafting and budding there would be 
no opportunity for the birth of higher laws and principles into the 
lower ones. 

"Through sorrow man approaches nearest to God." 

The passage from the Vegetable world or quarter into the Ani- 
mal is so narrow as to be almost past discovery ; the lowest order of 
animal life so closely resembles the vegetable that the scientist alone 
can make the distinction. 

In the animal world alone does war exist in the true sense of war. 
One plant may subsist upon another of a different species, but war in 
its true sense is a contest between elements, factions or forms of like 
natures and equal powers. 

When by the evolutionary process a form sufficiently complex to 
respond to Will and Sensation has been produced then animal life be- 
gins and war among the species results. 



SYMBOLISM 199 



Extermination is the cry from lowest to highest, from the tiniest 
expression of life to the grandest man. 

By means of the brain animals think and reason from cause to 
effect; by the addition or impinging of one faculty upon another an 
animal is finally evolved with enough brain power and will force to re- 
spond to the human soul and as soon as this animal is prepared the 
human soul finds incarnation and is thus launched upon the journey 
of life. 

The human animal is the vehicle by or through which the human 
soul expresses itself. The human soul is never incarnated in anything 
less than a human body. Any brain or animal less complex would 
not be sufficient for it. 

The "Caucasian'' represents the highest type of evoluted mat- 
ter; through his brain does such principles as Hate, Passion, Lust 
and Greed find expression, directed with the greatest degree of cer- 
tainty and result. The greater the intelligence the greater the de- 
gree of will force. 

The greater freedom man gives to his animal nature, the more 
he allows his evil passions to sway him, indulging in those principles 
of war in which only the animal can indulge, the sooner he comes to a 
realization of that great truth : 

"That which cannot express perfectly its Name, Number, or 
Form has lost the WORD and is therefore Dead." 

NAME AND NUMBER. 

A name is composed of letters and is intended to express a prin- 
ciple. A child is named in honor of some great personage with the 



200 



SYMBOLISM 



hope and belief that it will in some degree express the same virtues as 
made its namesake great. 

Names are in three parts, such as John Henry Smith. Each 
letter of a name represents a universal law, and all the letters, as a 
collective whole, represent a larger law. 

As an illustration we will suppose the world of matter to be com- 
posed of four elements : Fire, Earth, Air and Water, represented by 
four equal lines. Place within this inclosure a letter, and the imping- 
ing points of the letter will indicate the predominating element be- 
longing to that particular letter. 



Vvre 




<L±vW 



If the reader can now imagine that small square or enclosure so 
enlarged as to include the Universe, and can imagine that each letter 
of his name is a vibratory law, reaching from Infinity to Infinity, 
he will get a faint idea of the power of his own name; if that name 
be in three parts he will realize the magnitude of the responsibility he 
assumed when it was bestowed upon him. 

By reference to the chart it will be seen that the twenty-six letters 
of the alphabet are repeated in one of the Tarots. This because the 
letters have a positive and negative quality, and by repeating they ex- 
actly fill the forty-nine squares (the homes of the seven planets) and 
the three places of Honor assigned to the Sun, Moon and Earth, at 
the top. 



SYMBOLISM 201 



These forty-nine squares are forty-nine geometrical divisions of 
the stellar universe. All are numbered and named; and every soul 
born into the world of matter assumes the name and number of all, but 
more particularly those names and numbers of squares in which the 
planets may be at time of birth. 

It is the great checkerboard of life. 



202 SYMBOLISM 








CHART NO. 2; LETTER G— CONCLUDED. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

The: Four Great Emblems — The Three Ruffians — Number Be- 
longs to the Soul Realm and Is Expressed in Color Only 
— Name Is Characteristic of the Spirit Form — Owned by 
the World of Matter — The Esoteric Meaning of the Two 
Veils. 

THE FOUR GREAT EMBLEMS. 

As has been explained in a previous chapter the heart is a pic- 
ture of a flame of fire and symbolizes light. 

Page 65, "Morals and Dogma,'' Master Degree Lecture: "If, 
in teaching the great doctrine of the divine nature of the Soul, and in 
striving to explain its longings after immortality and in proving its 
superiority over the souls of the animals which have no aspirations 
Heavenward, the ancients struggled in vain to express the nature of 
the soul by comparing it to fire and light, it will be well for us to 
consider whether with all our boasted knowledge we have any better 
or clearer idea of its nature and whether we have not despairingly 
taken refuge in having none at all." 



SYMBOLISM 203 



It is a ray of light then that goes forth on the wings of faith to 
find expression in matter. From the soul realm, where all is light 
and there is no shadow, the soul goes to the other extreme of vibra- 
tion and finds itself locked in the embrace of crystallized metals. 



* 



Instead of functioning upon one plane it now goes to work in reg- 
ular order and faithfully performing the duty assigned it by the 
grand Architect builds a natural as well as spiritual body. 

These three spheres are symbolized by the clover leaf which 
shows three complete circles joined together by one stem. It is a 
symbol of knowledge, showing the first duty of the soul is to acquire 
a knowledge of its environments. After gaining a knowledge of the 
material laws, or after passing through "school days," the soul is 
ready to take up the more serious affairs of life and enter the world 
of finance, which is symbolized by the Diamond, as he who has dia- 
monds has power on earth. The possession of precious jewels is 
always most desirable and to him who has wealth much honor is 
given. It is a proof of soul power to be able to so control men and 
principles as to acquire wealth. Great enterprises require great minds 
and soul, or will power, to direct them. All souls are kings ; all are 
subjects. All acquire that which they most desire with all their 
heart some time, some place, somehow ; if not in time then in eternity, 
as it is the law given by the master of old. 



204 SYMBOLISM 



"Whatsoever ye pray for with all your heart, believing, the same 
shall be added unto you." 

If a person thinks evil he need not be surprised if evil visits him. 
Epictidus, an ancient philosopher, had this to say: "God gives us 
that which is our own unhindered and unhampered, and hinders and 
hampers that which is not our own." 

Passing from the Diamond, or wealth quarter, to the quarter of 
"death," symbolized by the Spade, the soul is met at the door of the 
temple by three ruffians who would wrest from it the all-powerful 
Word. 

These three ruffians are ever present with every soul from the 
first breath to the last. 

One of them is named Fear; the second Selfishness, the third 
Ignorance. 

FEAR. 

Fear of the future impedes the growth and development of the 
soul. Fear that the future wants and necessities of life may not be 
forthcoming causes man to commit crime against his brother. Fear 
that beyond the grave there may be eternal punishment makes men 
hypocritical, in the eye of the All-Seeing One a most heinous crime. 
Fear of death makes men, otherwise brave, cowards. Fear fills the 
asylums with insane and robs the soul of its birthright. Fear has 
perched upon the brow of inspiration and stayed the hand that would 
proclaim to the world some great scientific or religious truth. 

Fear has made it possible for self-elected bigots to hold in sub- 
jugation nations of people. 



SYMBOLISM 205 



Fear brings the sinner to the confessional and takes his last 

penny for the repose of his soul. 

Fear puts the priest in solitude and denies him the joys of love. 
Fear causes the mother to swoon away into unconsciousness while 

her babe plays with the deadly reptile with impunity. 

SELFISHNESS. 

Selfishness causes men to bear false witness and perjure and 
blacken the soul for love of gain. A desire to possess for passional 
gratification causes humanity to murder, abduct and imprison the weak 
and virtuous. 

Selfishness allows the strong to starve the weak. It sits in the 
lap of the rich and turns the starving poor away with a glad hand. 

Selfishness causes brothers and sisters born of the same womb 
to become bitter enemies. 

Selfishness withholds the helping hand in time of need and is 
often the true test of friendship. 

Selfishness rides in the carriage of the aristocrat and the starv- 
ing multitude begs with outstretched arms for just a little of the 
golden grain rotting in his granaries. 

Selfishness allows his wife and children to make every sacrifice 
while he revels at the play. Gratification of self when our brother suf- 
fers because of it causes the soul to weep with pain and sorrow. 

IGNORANCE. 

Ignorance of the laws governing our physical bodies causes pain 
and suffering. 



2o6 SYMBOLISM 



Ignorance of plant life that are compounded into foods produces 
inharmonious conditions of the body resulting in disease. 

Ignorance of planetary law permits man to blunder along- in the 
belief that there are accidents, and when his life is snuffed out 
by the explosion of a steam boiler or the hand of an assassin or the 
bullet of an enemy, he awakes in the after life to discover that the 
universe is governed by fixed and inexorable law, and that while it 
is true that man is the arbiter of his own destiny, still only ignorance 
will close his perception to this truth. 

Ignorance of spiritual laws, rather the laws of spirit, permit some 
to suffer from obscession and many a soul is born into the world with 
a deformed body by reason of ignorance on the part of parents re- 
garding the law of spirit. 

Ignorance regarding communion between planetary bodies by 
means of spirit intelligence has dwarfed human progress and kept the 
door of inspiration closed. 

Ignorance of the power of our own will has made poverty, sin, 
sickness and disease a constant companion. 

Ignorance of the power of our own breath, our own mind, our 
own thought upon our bodies in times of sickness and pain, has robbed 
life of much pleasure and stunted the growth of the soul. 

The lesson of the Spade or rather the Acorn, is to teach that as 
the acorn has an outer shell, an inner meat and then a germ, so has 
man an outer body, which like the acorn must die from the parent tree 
and be buried in the dark recesses of the earth, there to rot, disinte- 
grate and decay; that as the acorn has an inner meat, so has man a 
spiritual body ; that as the acorn has power to send forth its soul in the 
reproduction of another tree, so man has power to launch forth his 



SYMBOLISM 207 



soul on the eternal wings of light; that while the acorn is one body- 
there is the dividing line between the outer shell and the inner meat; 
the division is distinct. So with man there is the three in one : spirit, 
soul and body. 

The only language known in the soul realm is number, 
which is expressed by Color only. 

Name is characteristic of the spirit. 

Form is owned by the world of matter. 

The circle of the Infinite is divided into four quarters of ninety 
degrees each. These great divisions are represented in the chart and 
in each of these quarters there are two divisions or "veils." 

These veils are symbols of those other veils dividing the worlds 
of spirit, soul, and matter, and when we as travelers pass from one 
world to another, there will be demanded from us by one who sits 
behind the veil, our name or our number, and "he who cannot express 
perfectly his Name, Number or Form has lost the Word and is there- 
fore dead," and must be born again, as perfection can be acquired 
only after many and repeated efforts. 



2o8 SYMBOLISM 



PART VIII. 

SOME BIBLE EXPRESSIONS- 
MASONIC SYMBOLS AND 
OTHER CHARACTERS IN 
EVERYDAY USE— THE NINE 
DIGITS GIVEN A NEW AND 
TRUE EXPLANATION— A SIM- 
PLE YET PLAIN BASIS FOR 
MAN'S CLAIM TO SONSHIP OF 
GOD. 



SYMBOLISM 209 




CHAPTER XIX. 
IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. 

Atoms as Mirrors — Humanity Unconscious of Health, but 
Awake to Disease — The Human Family Covering the 
Surface of the Earth Likened Unto the Cuticle, or 
Skin, of the Individual — Each Individual Human a 
Center Creative, and the Entire Human Famly the Cir- 
cumference — Masonry Conceals Its Secrets From All 
Except the Adepts — Using False Explanations and Mis- 
interpretations — Truth a Deadly Things — Man in Con- 
stant Communion With God. 

Let the reader examine himself and consider the growth of his 
own body. It had its beginning in the single atom, and by the addi- 
tion of atom upon atom it grew into parts and members, finally com- 
pleting the whole body. 

The soul being the builder each atom derives its light, }ife and 
substance from it; atoms grow into fibers, chords, tendons, muscles 
and bones; each part owes its life to the soul which seals the atoms 
with its own personality. In other words, each atom has imprinted 
upon it the image of the Soul. 

If the soul is expressing as "John Smith," each atom compos- 






2io SYMBOLISM 



ing the body will bear the likeness of John Smith; if these atoms 
could speak they would say that their name was Smith. All the chords, 
tendons, and muscles of the body, as collective groups of atoms, would 
declare their name to be Smith. In like manner the individual bears 
the likeness of his country or nation — an American, a Russian, an 
Englishman. 

From the standpoint of atoms, Smith would be to them God, 
though they could not see him nor comprehend him. Such atoms as 
do the will of Smith and respond to his desires may be said to be "in 
tune with the Infinite" or be doing God's will (Smith's will). 

Smith rejoices in the spontaneous and harmonious response of 
the members of his body. The soul of Smith is glorified in the beauty, 
symmetry, strength and health of his body. He is unconscious of 
health, but at once awakens to disease or pain. He takes no notice of 
the other members but devotes his entire attention to the sinners, and 
when they return into harmonious condition or relationship with 
the soul of Smith (health), it may be said that there is "great rejoicing 
among the angels for the return of one sinner.' ' 

We think not of our bodies except when hunger or disease over- 
takes us ; then we turn our thoughts to it, and especially do we center 
our thoughts upon those parts that cause the pain. We are willing 
to neglect, for the time being, the other parts of the body and devote 
our whole time to the sinner. 

God, the Universal Soul, sent His onlp begotten son into the 
world to save the sinners; the only instances where Christ really for- 
gave were the harlot and the thief, thus proving the truthfulness of 

"Through sorrow God approaches nearest to man; 
Through sorrow man approaches nearest to God." 



SYMBOLISM 211 



In the cuticle or skin of the human body the bright red arterial 
blood, full of life and vitality from the heart, changes by some un- 
known and unseen process into venous blood, dark and void of life. 

Around every bone, chord, muscle and fiber, yea, every atom, 
there is a corresponding cuticle or layer serving the same purpose. 

Every member of the body and every atom composing the mem- 
bers is reached by this double set of veins and arteries. Each atom is 
reached by a double set of nerves also. Because of which, Smith, the 
soul, can reach all parts of his body, even to the remotest and most 
obscure portion, and so whatever Smith's will may be, each and 
every atom in harmony with him will know that will and strive to 
carry it into effect. 

We have taken a brief look at the human body, let us now look 
briefly at the universal body. 

Humanity is composed first of the individual corresponding to 
the atom. The individual merges into the family, the family into 
the community and the community grows into the tribe and nation, 
which constitute the world of humanity. 

We live on the outside of a big ball called a world. We con- 
stitute its skin. This world, though large from our standpoint, is but 
an atom of matter held in its position by other atoms or worlds, some 
larger and some smaller, all of which are so close together that it is 
impossible for one to fly its prescribed path. 

"As it is below so it is above/ ' 

"The Microcosm is as the Macrocosm.'' 

"Man is made in the image of God." 

A good definition of God is given in the following language : 



2i2 SYMBOLISM 



"God is a sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circum- 
ference is nowhere." 

Each individual atom is the center of its own universe. Atoms 
grow into molecules and groups, each atom added to the mass requir- 
ing a larger intelligence to manifest through that form. Thus the 
intelligence necessary to manifest as a hand or foot is greater than 
the intelligence necessary to manifest as a finger or toe. 

The intelligence of the hand is included in that of the arm, 
while the arm is only one of the many members of the body; yet the 
whole body is only a human atom in the family tree, having its place 
and sphere of activity. Each human being has its relation to the whole 
human family, and in its relation to other human atoms is constanly 
receiving messages from the great Over Soul. 

The whole human family, then, becomes the circumference and 
each individual a center. 

Man moves about from place to place at will ; he is not fixed any- 
where. A moving center from which life and light constantly eman- 
ate. His mind is confined nowhere, but is everywhere. 

In him does the eternal past meet the infinite future. He joins 
the fathomless depths to the boundless heights. 

If we stand in the center of Infinity, not recognizing limitation, 
we become a mere point like this ( . ) , but when we recognize our 
material senses we become limited and that limitation can be symbol- 
ized by the circle thus, (0) 

I quote from "Morals and Dogma," by Pike : 

"Masonry, like all the religions, all the mysteries, hermeticism 
and alchemy, conceals its secrets from all except the adepts and sages, 
and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to 



SYMBOLISM 213 



mislead those who deserve only to be misled, to conceal the truth 
from them and draw them away from it. A truth is not for those 
who are unworthy or unable to receive it, or who would pervert it." 

"God himself incapacitates men in divers ways and gives to 
them the power to attain only so much of his laws as is profitable 
for them to know. Every age has had a religion suited to its ca- 
pacity.' ' 

Synesius, a great Kabalist, wrote: "A spirit that loves wis- 
dom and contemplates the truth close at hand is forced to disguise 
it to induce the multitudes to accept it, as truth becomes deadly to 
those who are not strong enough to contemplate it in all its brill- 
iancies." 

If we could look at other worlds with eyes as large as this world 
we would relatively see them as close as the atoms of our own bodies 
are close together. There is no space between worlds when looked 
at from the standpoint of a world. They are as close together as it 
is possible for them to be. 

Each world has its central orb or sun from which it derives its 
light, warmth, and life, the same as each atom in our bodies belongs 
to some cord, tendon or fiber. 

Worlds are formed into groups and constellations which again 
become atoms compared with the whole of creation. 

Even the "Milky Way," that grand pathway across the heavens, 
may be likened unto a small nerve in a small portion of the human 
body. 

Our world is a compact body made up of material from all the 
other worlds. Our bodies are of the earth and contain the same 
elements. 



2i4 SYMBOLISM 



The soul of man, being of God and doing God's will, is com- 
missioned to control these elements, not by ravishment or discord, but 
by peaceful direction of the will. 

We have five senses with which we are constantly receiving 
messages from the great soul of the universe. These messages are 
delivered to us in many ways, and we are never at a loss to know what 
the divine will may be. It is revealed to us through our conscience. 
This divine will is revealed in manifold ways; through every person 
with whom we come into contact, through the reading of books, 
through conversations, through newspaper reading, or what not. It is 
the voice of God speaking through that channel, and the soul of God 
in us responds, either actively or not, according as we are alive to 
the voice of our conscience. 

The soul force that animates a world also animates a universe of 
worlds. Worlds are peopled, and the skin of humanity that covers 
a world, serves the same purpose to God the cuticle does to the hu- 
man individual. 

Each individual is an expressed thought of the divine will; a 

message bearer. 

Contemplate the greatness of the small and the small ness of 



the great. 



SYMBOLISM 215 



CHAPTER XX. 



DIGITS. 



Symbolism of the Nine Digits and Cipher — Why Our Mathe- 
matical System Includes Only Ten Characters — Why 
They Are so Formed — A Defense of Lucifer— Why 
Masons Should Study Mathematics — Gender in Num- 
bers — Every Breath We Breathe Is Numbered, Gendered 
and Named — A Scientific Explanation of Blessing Food — 
A Basis for the Science of Astrology — Why Masons 
Should Study Chemistry, Music and Architecture — The 
Christian Cross Shown in a New Light — The Double 
Cross — Sealed by the Stars. 

The Mason is admonished to study mathematics. He is not ad- 
vised to pursue his studies through simple addition and subtraction, 
there to cease. He is not told to master square root and fractions. 

He is not told to go so far and no further. He is simply ad- 
vised to "study mathematics/ ' 

No student would be considered proficient in any study unless 
he were master of the basic principles and could elucidate the prem- 
ise of the science, therefore the student of mathematics should know 
the whys and wherefores of the nine digits and cipher; why there 
are only ten of them; why formed in the manner they are, and why 
it is possible to perform such stupendous examples with these ten little 
characters. 

We are wont to handle them and use them with as little regard 



216 SYMBOLISM 



for their divine worth as a little child would play with a handful 
of diamonds ; never giving a thought to their universal value and the 
infallible laws they represent. 

The first digit or figure one (i) is in reality a diameter of a 
circle; while it is usually made by drawing a line perpendicular, a 
horizontal or oblique line would be a perpendicular, or figure i, from 
some standpoint, just the same as that expression in Masonry which 
says "the sun is at high meridian all the time," is true. 

The first digit or figure i is a symbol of the first great cause, 
and stands for the Universal Law of God. It is a symbol of Unity as 
well as a symbol of the trinity. In gender it is both masculine and 
feminine and adds to those natures the third quality, that of being 
neuter. 

As in the beginning there was one God and all things were in- 
cluded in that one God, so this character stands for and symbolizes 
that first cause. 

In God were both the male and female, so with the straight 
line or figure one; it has two ends, one positive and one negative, 
and where these two meet there must be the neuter element. There- 
fore, this first digit is not only one, but it is two, and it is not only two, 
but it is three. 

In order to find the gender in numbers we must look to Mother 
Nature, for she can always be relied upon to reveal her most sacred 
secrets to him who will search in honesty of purpose. 

When Mother Nature gives birth to her offspring she does so 
perfectly, i. e., she divides herself into two equal parts without any 
remainder. 

Before birth took place the figure one would represent all; at 



SYMBOLISM 217 



birth the one becomes divided into two parts and the division is per- 
fect; she expunges from herself all her offspring, retaining no frac- 
tional part. Not so, however, with Father Nature; when he gives 
birth to himself he retains a fractional part for gestative purposes. 
Thus any number that is divisible by two without a remainder is fem- 
inine, 2, 4, 6, 8, and any number that cannot be divided by two with- 
out a fractional part left over is masculine, 3, 5, 7, 9. 

It is a geometrical axiom that "a circle is made up of straight 
lines," therefore the cipher in mathematics is in reality a figure 1 
drawn out until the two ends meet. Thus they are both symbols of In- 
finity. 



o 



The cipher is a symbol of feminity because it is an enclosure 
in which there is no thing. Thus it will be seen that the beginning 
and ending of our mathematical system is in the Infinite and that the 
characters we use are symbols of Infinite Law. 

In all schools of symbolism, spirit is set forth and symbolized 
by the perpendicular line, as matter lies recumbent and spirit ascends 
or descends into it. The figure one then becomes the symbol of 
spirit which harmonizes with the claim that God is spirit. 



218 SYMBOLISM 




2 



The second character or digit is feminine, and its form describes 
the path of the sun through the twelve signs of the Zodiac. As the 
Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn mark the northern and southern 
declines of the sun, the path of that orb between these two extremes 
would be represented by an oblique line. 

This is a beautiful symbol of motherhood, since the constant 
traveling of the sun from one hemisphere to the other produces the 
seasons, which of course means sexation in nature. The departure 
of the sun from the Southern Hemisphere means the advent of spring 
in the Northern Hemisphere, when the husbandman goes forth to sow 
and the birds and beasts choose their mates. 

The sun continues his journey until he reaches his most northern 
point of declination at which time the Southern Hemisphere is clothed 
in its wintry garb and may be said to be in the clutches of death, the 
great life giver having for a time apparently left it alone. 

The second character of our mathematical system is thus shown 
to be distinctly feminine and the first one masculine. 

The first breath taken into the body being number i is masculine, 
and our life comes into the body as masculine. The next breath is an 
outgoing breath and is number 2, therefore feminine. Now, if we 
should take but just those two breaths one would be positive and the 



SYMBOLISM 219 



other negative; or our life would come in on one and go out on the 
other and that would be the end of it. But we continue to inhale and 
exhale, Therefore the third breath we draw is an incoming breath, 
and again our life comes in. The No. 3 is not divisible by 2 without 
a remainder, therefore the third breath is masculine. Again our life 
goes out on the fourth breath, which is again feminine. Thus it will 
be seen that each breath we draw is numbered and named according 
to the gender of it; we also see that every incoming breath is mas- 
culine and every outgoing breath feminine. We live in the father 
and die in the mother. 

By a little observation the reader will see that food and nour- 
ishment of every kind is taken into the body on the incoming breath. 
If one takes a drink of water he holds his breath while so doing. 
All foods are passed into the mouth on a suspended or inhaled breath. 
Thus does the soul bless every particle of food and nourishment en- 
tering into the "temple' ' with the blessing or breath of life. Having 
extracted from that food the life sustaining properties needed the 
waste matter is expelled from the body on the outgoing or death 
breath. Thus when one expectorates, or sneezes, or vomits, or coughs, 
it is on the outgoing breath. All excrement from the bowels and blad- 
der is forced into the world on the death or suspended breath. On the 
outgoing breath of the mother are all children born. As soon as the 
babe is freed from the mother its diaphragm expands, producing a 
vacuum at the solar plexus, and the first or No. 1 breath is taken by in- 
halation. Thus does nature complete the everlasting circuit. As the 
life escapes the mother it is taken up by the child. 

The outgoing breath is then the death breath because the life 



22o SYMBOLISM 



goes out on that breath; the incoming breath is the breath of life 
because the life comes in on that breath. 

At the time of the first breath the sun, moon and earth and all 
the planets of this solar universe are in certain Geometrical relations 
to each other within the circuit of Neptune's orbit, and as these mon- 
ster magnets teeming with life rush through the twelve great divisions 
of the sun's Zodiac, forming combinations of electric and magnetic 
forces, we breathe into our bodies with that first breath the blessing 
of each of those planetary Gods, according to their place in the Grand 
Archetypal Man. 

Thus man is born a natural chemist, mixing, blending, harmo- 
nizing the chemical properties of the planets; therefore a Mason 
should study chemistry. 

Man is born a natural musician for the reason that each of these 
planets is the source of a note or vibration in music, therefore, study 
music, learn its source and become attuned with the dominant chord 
of one's own soul. 

These planets change their relative positions with the rapidity 
of thought and each change of position means a change of chemical- 
ization in the breathing, pulsating body; therefore man is advised to 
study architecture in all its branches in order that he may square 
himself geometrically with the law and order of the universal temple. 

To be able to square one's self is to be able to determine whether 
his acts are in response to the good or evil influence of the planetary 
Gods. One does not need the advice of a fortune teller, astrologer, 
palmist, or card reader, to advise him as to his duty, for man has 
within him an unerring and infallible guide ; a guide that never sleeps, 
is never off duty, and never asks for reward. A recognition of this 



SYMBOLISM 221 



guide guarantees success, happiness, health and finally a freeing from 
this earth's attractive nature. This guide is born with every one. Its 
name is truth expressed as conscience. 

To listen to one's conscience is to hear the voice of Christ; to 
reject the conscience is to kill the widow's son. 

The figure 2, then, is a symbol of Universal life and Universal 
death. 

Its form is made of two horizontal lines connected by an ob- 
lique line indicating the union of spirit and matter. 

The third digit is masculine, and serves as a connecting link be- 
tween the second and fourth digits, thus performing the duties of a 
mediator or Christ principle. 



tA*W 



er 



«» • 



letter 



3 



The form of the character is an open square and if we 
label the two horizontal lines matter the third line will be a true type 
of the Christ principle (mediator) as it connects the two extremes. 

Again by adding the first digit, or No. i, to the second, the third 
is produced. It, then, is the result of all that has gone before it plus 
its own self. It represents that great neuter element existing through- 
out the infinite. 



222 SYMBOLISM 



lA2SS.tr 



-tf. 



•s. 



A 4 



The fourth digit is made by the joining of two perpendicular 
lines to two horizontal ones, thus making a complete square, the two 
perpendicular lines being called spirit, the two horizontal ones matter. 

It will be seen that after leaving the second digit each succeed- 
ing character is a repetition of the preceding one with an additional 
line added, each line being a symbol of a universal law. 

The figure 4 then is simply a picture of an enclosure, a womb, 
and this enclosure is composed of the four elements Fire, Earth, Air 
and Water. 

The fourth digit is feminine. 

By the addition of one more line or principle the enclosure be- 
comes opened, or dead matter is raised to life on the "five points of 
contact." 

Starting with the first digit and calling it "spirit," the second 
"matter," the third "spirit," and the fourth "matter," the fifth one is 
charged with the supreme task of raising to a higher level those nat- 
ural warring elements, Fire vs. Water ; Earth vs. Air* When the work 
is accomplished one side of the cube opens up and one of the per- 
pendicular lines points upward and becomes joined to another hori- 
zontal line above, thus picturing the "raising" process from a lower 
to a higher. This can only be done by a master of those elements. 






SYMBOLISM 223 



NWlt 



er 



BM*l 



fitter 



(/> 



The form of the digit is like the letter "S" except the corners are 
not rounded as in the letter "S." 

Five is a masculine number and, as shown, the work assigned 
to it is that of resurrection, or the life-giving principle. 

Within the enclosure represented by the four universal ones, the 
fifth universal one takes his place and in due time breaks the seal of 
death and walks forth free. Thus the fifth digit is a symbol of resur- 
rection, and when applied to human affairs means that those who 
bear this number are called upon to transmute from a lower to a 
higher degree their own moral nature. 

The soul when born into matter in the midst of these four war- 
ring elements is often symbolized by the cube with a dot in the center ? 
the cube representing the elements and the dot the soul or builder. 

As the soul controls those contending forces it reaches out in all 
directions and makes the contact on the four sides or corners of the 
cube. These four points of contact, plus itself, making five, are set 
forth as a symbol in following cnt. 



224 



SYMBOLISM 




It will be seen that as the center of this figure is raised or lifted up it 
describes a perfect pyramid. 




6 



The raising and transmuting process accomplished by the male 
principle, as set forth in the figure 5, is still further carried on in 
the next digit, or figure 6. This digit is formed by the addition of 
both spirit and matter to the four warring elements. In the first 
resurrection, symbolized by the 5, only spirit, or the masculine prin- 
ciple, was necessary to accomplish the work (York rite in Masonry), 
but in the second resurrection both male and female are necessary 
(the Magi). 

In the first resurrection only the veil separating the world of 



SYMBOLISM 225 



matter from the world of spirit was pushed aside, but in the second 
resurrection the veil between the spirit and soul realm is penetrated 
and the absolute truth is realized. 

The world has a glimpse of this law now; it is being made 
manifest by a "search after the soul-mate." Those who indulge in 
this belief labor under the delusion that to find their "soul-mate' ' 
would be to end all their earthly woes, whereas, in reality it would 
be only the beginning of them. Beware of your soul-mate if you 
would be happy on earth. Let your soul-mate rest in the unseen to 
be your guide and inspiration. Waste not your substance in vessels 
of clay, but husband your soul's power (sex power) for use in those 
greater activities of the soul symbolized by the seventh digit. 



Matter 
». 



7 



This is again of masculine gender and is a symbol of that law 
which teaches that after a soul has become rounded out or reunited 
with itself (discovered its own true self) and by its experience 
become master over material conditions it is then competent to take 
charge of other souls and become guide and teacher by the power of 
will. An over soul. 

The figure 7 is composed of a horizontal and a perpendicular line, 
the latter joined at right angles to the former line and extending far 



226 



SYMBOLISM 



below the base line. The long stem is the fifth digit presenting itself 
as one, embracing within itself all the four elements and the spirit of 
life besides. Thus the two above, as spirit and matter joined in the 
previous character (6), now reach down and assist in the work of 
resurrection and transmutation as being carried on by the 5th. 

He whose number is 7 will find his path of life strewn with 
trials and tribulations. To express this law perfectly one must be 
able to meet defeat with a smile and expect defeat at every turn 
in the road. 



(P 




0> 


tJ 




-0 


'1 




*n . 


+ ' 






f 


tA*Wet 


<* 
















r^VVer 




[f 







"Q 




*0 


^ 




n 


c 


fVttttJ 


r 



8 



To the seven universal ones we now add another; lo and be- 
hold, the result is the double cube or the four elements united above 
and below the neutral line. This digit represents great soul power and 
is a symbol of perfect equilibrium, as that which is above is just 
equal to that which is below. It means that the spiritual and ma- 
terial natures are evenly balanced and harmonized. 

Open these two cubes by the process shown in the chapter on 



SYMBOLISM 



227 



the diamond and it will reveal the double cross so sacred to Masonry 
and the church. 

If the world has so far failed to produce a soul with sufficient 
strength and wisdom to carry the cross of matter, symbolized by the 
4th digit, cube, or cross, what must be the progress made before a 
soul will be evolved with sufficient strength to pick up the double 
cross and carry it as symbolized by the figure 8. The figure 8, the 
double cross, and the double cube, all are symbols of one and the 
same law 

It is a symbol of the law which enables a soul to penetrate into 
the lowest depths of sin and then vibrate to the highest condition of 
angelic love. The conception of Milton's "Paradise Lost," Sweden- 
borg's "Heaven and Hell," are illustrations of the soul development 
possible as symbolized by the figure 8. 



ttatt 



er 



CA 




U> 


-tr 




tr 


-j 




-j 


c 


Salter 


r 









9 



The ninth digit is made by the addition of one more line or law 
to the preceding figure. Once more the base line serves as a veil be- 



228 SYMBOLISM 



tween the upper and lower worlds (so to speak), and the long stem 
below the line while only one, is the same five ones in one we met at 
the fifth step in this spiral stairway, and the four ones above the base 
line added to the five ones below give the next masculine principle. 

But the raising power, or the Christ principle, is below the four 
elements which represent gnomes, vampires and those demons of the 
earth conditions. And they of themselves have no desire to rise or be 
transmuted. The Christ principle is buried deep in the offal of hu- 
manity. This digit represents the fallen angel, as he who has the 
number 9 as a birthright learns, like Job, that all is vanity and vexa- 
tion of soul. He learns that calculations are not to be depended upon 
and will even question the correctness of mathematics, so often is he 
disappointed in the affairs of life. 

Through great sorrow, however, are souls brought nearest to 
God; after the swing of the pendulum into the abyss of matter, the 
next step is to be united with God in conscious work of salvation, be- 
coming truly a "Lu-cipher" (i. e. : Luce-cipher, luce meaning light and 
cipher darkness), which can best be pictured forth by the symbol of the 
sun which is a point within a circle. 




Having started with the figure 1 which, as has been shown, 
is a fraction of a circle, it then stands to reason that back of the one is 
the circle ( ) or cipher, which of itself signifies nothing or in- 
finity. Thus when the circle of infinity is placed before the 1 it 



SYMBOLISM 229 



means No-Thing; placed after the one, it means the Ten Law-making 
Bodies of this Solar Universe — Sun, Moon and Planets. 

In making our digits we round the corners, thus carrying out 
the divine order to "beautify and adorn" our work. The authority for 
so doing is found in nature's laws. The reader is referred to the 
series of cuts and illustrations, in the chapter "Tiled Floor," by aid of 
which I hope to be able to make myself understood. 

The first cut is a representation of the sun sending his rays of 
light in all directions, but for our purpose we will follow only one 
ray. 

This one ray of energy goes forth in a straight direction and 
will so continue until it meets an opposing ray exactly like it ; then the 
two rays or forces will be turned at right angles (see cut No. 2), when 
again they will proceed in straight lines until they again meet op- 
posing forces having the same potency or degree of vibration. Then 
again they will be turned at right angles (see cut No. 3). 

This process of meeting and turning is kept up until the ray is 
finally turned back upon itself and becomes united with itself, as 
shown in cut No. 7. This reunion with itself forms a perfect square 
and might again be called the Grand Discovery, or the Squaring of the 
Circle. If the source of energy were now cut off the forming or com- 
pleting of this square would be the only result, but the supply being 
infinite and the stream eternal the corners of these two squares are 
played upon like a stream of water from a fireman's hose, the square 
or cube begins to move in a circular direction, increasing in velocity 
until the corners disappear entirely and that which was square becomes 
round. , 

Thus is centrifugal and centripetal motion established. This re- 



230 SYMBOLISM 



suit is first obtained and symbolized in the fourth digit and finds ex- 
pression in the fifth on the five points of contact. Thus is found 
the authority for the present form of our mathematical characters and 
the rounding of the corners. 

, In the figure 8 the law is most beautifully expressed by the two 
cubes, one above, the other below, the base line; one representing 
positive, the other negative conditions; turning in opposite direc- 
tions and joined at the center, as shown by cut No. 8. 

By rounding the corners of the cube in the figure 9 thereby pro- 
ducing a circle, and adding thereto the perpendicular line which rep- 
resents five ones, we have the following result : five below plus four 
above equal nine. 



O 





In the order of creation, so far as our physical bodies are con- 
cerned, the active principles of which they are made come first from 
the sun, earth and moon in the order named (soul, body, spirit). 
The action or influence of these three is necessary for the 
beginning of life. If the incarnated soul be strong enough to master 
the chemical properties of these three, he may be considered a "master 
builder" and entitled to the custody of a greater secret of law which 
is the law of Mercury. 



SYMBOLISM 231 



? 



After being tested and tried by this messenger of the Gods for 
three months and being found worthy, we are "sealed" by him and 
then introduced to the beautiful and musical goddess, Venus 




for further instructions. Under her tuition we beautify and orna- 
ment the temple and bring it nearer completion. Venus, the mother 
principle, and in mathematics, the figure 5, bear us anew. 
Mars, 




the warrior, then develops our intellect and causes an awakening of 
the mental faculties, he being the sixth tutor in this universal school. 



232 



SYMBOLISM 



Jove or Jupiter 



u 



represented in mythology as Atlas carrying the world on his shoul- 
ders, teaches us the laws of strength and power and fortitude that 
we may be able to meet the evil influences of Saturn or Satan, to 
whose spiritualizing influences he turns us over in our twenty-ninth 
year. 

Jupiter's number is 7. He is considered the great balance wheel 
of the heavens and governs the business affairs of men. 

Saturn 




with his rings and moons is the eighth number of this universal 
household; as has been shown, he who can carry the cross of Saturn 
has "carte blanche" to enter the worlds of spirit and matter. 




o 



Uranus or Herschel is the representative of law, symbolized by 
the number 9. This planet is said to be a patron of the agriculturist, 



SYMBOLISM 233 



the delver in the ground, and a friend to the poor, for he causes by- 
death (ere the eighty-fourth year) a redistribution of the treasures of 
the earth : the natural term of life is less than a Uranian year and the 
wealth of the rich becomes divided among the poor. 

This planet is also said to revolve on its axis centripetally 
(toward the center) ; thus its influence is to turn back into the caldron 
of material forces those souls who have not yet made sufficient 
progress to venture beyond the confines of this particular solar 
universe. 



M> 



Once past Uranus the traveling soul is launched upon the great 
ocean of worlds, suns and systems of suns by our outer planetary 
sentinel, Neptune, representative of the tenth law of creation, whose 
three-pronged scepter has ever proclaimed him God of Water and 
ruler of journeys and voyages. 

Thus do the ten digits stand for and symbolize the ten great 
magnetic bodies of this universe, the cipher all beyond and outside our 
solar system ; the planets or stars of heaven are numberless, so also are 
the powers and possibilities of numbers limitless. 

The ten digits and the ten spot cards are symbols of the same 
laws ; to the reader of symbols one is as sacred as the other. 

The astronomical symbols or characters representing the planets 
are made of circles and crosses, thus indicating the sacredness of 
the science of astronomy and astrology. 



234 



SYMBOLISM 




CHAPTER XXL 

THE MASONIC TILED FLOOR. 

The Surface of the Earth the Tiled Floor of the Universal 
Lodge — Each Atom of Matter a White or a Black Square 
— How the Tiled Floor Teaches the Lesson of Evolution 
— Suns Like Individuals, Have Their Polar Opposites — 
How the Square Becomes a Circle — A Mason's Every 
Thought Is on the Square — Man a Creator of Life 
Within Himself — The Nature and Longevity of All 
Life Dependent Upon the Size of the Square Made by 
the Creating Soul, Whether It Be a Square of the Uni- 
verse or Only a Man's Body — Five Points of Contact Il- 
lustrated by the Rose Croix. 



As we walk the surface of the earth we must not forget that it is 
the great floor of the universal lodge of which the blue canopy of 



SYMBOLISM 235 



heaven is the royal arch. Each atom of matter is either positive or 
negative, therefore it is by reason of this characteristic of matter that 
growth and decay is possible. One atom attracts another, these two 
a third, and these three a fourth. Thus growth is produced. By re- 
versing this process decay is the result. 

Fire and water are bitter enemies; earth and air are also polar 
opposites. Consequently, when the Soul — which is the life of a thing 
— has left it, these elements return to their own place. This process 
is called disintegration, decay, death. If, then, each negative atom 
be symbolized by a black square (black meaning feminine), and 
each positive atom being symbolized by a light or white square 
(white meaning masculine), one can readily understand what is 
meant by the tiled floor. 

As we walk the ground we are constantly reminded of ihe two 
great forces in nature, male and female. These two forces being 
coeternal and coexistent, thus the surface of the earth from horizon 
to horizon is the great tiled floor of the universal lodge of which 
each human soul is a member. 

What a beautiful and sublime lesson the candidate should learn 
from this. No lodge is competent to transact business until 
the floor is properly tiled. This is only symbolical language setting 
forth the fact that every soul when born jnto matter must recognize 
these two contending forces, male and female, life and death. 

It also teaches the lesson of evolution and in a mute language 
tells of the eons and eons reaching from that remote period of the 
world's history when it was in a nebulous condition, to that epoch 
when by chemical processes the original elements had formed a crust 



236 



SYMBOLISM 



sufficiently nutritious in vegetable matter to support the vegetable 
world. 

It tells in symbolic language the growth of the mineral and 
vegetable kingdom into the animal, and how the lowest frder of the 
animal world finally developed into the human animal, which was 
the final preparation for the birth of the human soul. 

The black and white squares tell of the positive and negative 
atoms which first formed into crystals (salt), thus producing a 
foundation upon which the world of matter is builded. 

The great universal lodge is not prepared for the advent of the 
human soul until crystallization has done its perfect work through 
evolutionary processes; it cannot be said to be properly tiled until 
this work is accomplished. 

The following series of illustrations aptly sets forth the process 
by which the grand tiler of the universal temple performs that duty. 




In cut No. 1 of the series is shown the sun or soul of the uni- 
verse. From it a ray of energy or force goes forth. It will proceed 



SYMBOLISM 



237 



in a straight direction until it meets an opposing* force exactly like 
itself. 

A force having a greater or less degree of vibration would not 
stop it; might turn or bend it, but to cause it to be divided, separ- 
ated and turned back, the opposing forces must be coequal. 



-> «- 



Cut No. 2. 

If two streams of water issuing from two pipes be of the same 
dimension and have the same power, each will be turned back upon 
itself. Neither one overcomes the other. 

Suns, like individuals, have their polar opposites; every ray of 
light emanating from a sun is sooner or later turned back upon itself 
by a ray exactly like it, issuing from another sun, and this dividing or 
turning of the two forces is shown by cut No. 3. 



A /v 



Cut No. 3. 



Again these two forces will proceed in straight lines indefinitely 
until met by other opposing forces exactly similar. 



238 



SYMBOLISM 









Cut No. 4. 



Again they are turned and proceed in a direction at right angles 
with their former course. 



> r >^ 



/\ >V 



Cut No. 5 



, Proceeding further upon their journey these forces again meet 
their exact opposites as shown in figure 6. 



SYMBOLISM 



239 



-><- 



-» 



■»f 



■»<- 



*<- 



Cut No. 6. 

This force is still free to travel in a straight direction and will do 
so until it finally returns to its ownself, and the instant the union is 
made a square is the result as is shown in cut No. 7. 



•>* 






X i 



Js >fc 



Yr 



** 



Cut No. 7. 



The source of this energy being infinite, the corners of the square 
are played upon, so to speak, and thus is circular motion set up, life is 



240 



SYMBOLISM 



generated, and that which was square becomes round, the upper 
square revolving in an opposite direction to the lower one as is shown 
in cut No. 8. 




Cut No. 8. 



The nature of the life so generated, the size of the square and 
circle, are dependent upon the source of the generative force which 
includes the square of the universe, and man's mind only operates 
within the circle and square of the world. 




Cut No. 9. 
All created life is the result of this law, and within man's own 
body there are forms of life that conceive, give birth, live and die of 



SYMBOLISM 241 



old age in a few moments of time, the result of his own energy or 
thought meeting opposing energy or thought within his own circle 
and square, the limitations of which are confined within the cuticle 
of his own body. Thus man's own organization becomes a battle 
ground for the supremacy of life and death. 

In the great circle of the earth man himself is a rushing stream 
of energy, crushing some, being turned, twisted and bent by others, 
but sooner or later meeting his polar opposite; it is then he finally 
becomes a conscious creator causing those elements that heretofore 
subjugated him to obey his will. 

In cut No. 7 is shown the ray of light as having returned to its 
source and become united with itself. Should the supply be cut off 
now we would have only a square but, the source of energy being 
eternal, the square is fed and played upon and given a circular mo- 
tion; in other words the square corners become rounded, producing 
centrifugal motion and causing a vacuum or place where nothing is 
and where no "thing" is (that which has form and parts), there msut 
be light or life because light implies motion, consequently life. 

Intelligent life is master over the dead materials of earth (sym- 
bolized by the square) ; thus the dead thing is raised on the five 
points of contact or fellowship, for, be it remembered, each line, dot, 
or circle is a symbol of a universal law, and in the square or cube 
we have the four sides plus the "one" in the center making five. 
This one in the center uniting itself with the other four is beautifully 
symbolized in the Maltese Cross. 



242 



SYMBOLISM 




/ 



which shows how the living soul in the midst of the dead elements 
raises to a living stature the four warring elements, fire, earth, air 
and water. The earth being feminine, she it is must conceive, but she 
can conceive only in elements of which she is composed; these are 
the four universal ones. They are constantly warring with each other, 
as water against fire. 

The soul or light or sun of God is baptized at the time of con- 
ception into the waters of gestation where it finds but three elements 
with which to work, viz. : *Fire (manifested by the heat of the body), 
Earth (manifested by the bones, or crystallization, water, liquids of 
the body). 

The Soul, being a builder or Mason, must take the raw materials 
and without sound of any metal tool build a temple (body) from 
these three elements alone; hence, in Masonry, no Mason is a Master 
until he has taken three degrees, each degree being a symbol of the 
overcoming of the universal elements. Each degree represents a 
struggle or strife for victory. 

At time of birth of the physical, the diaphragm expands, pro- 



*These three elements are repeated four times by the four triangles composing 
the cross. 



SYMBOLISM 243 






ducing a vacuum at the solar plexus. The "air" rushes in through 
the nostrils and mouth ; the babe stretches its little legs, throws out its 
arms, cries, and thus, to the three existing elements a fourth is now 
added. Thus, the Soul (the Master) who has overcome the three de- 
grees, or elements, working in darkness during the nine months of 
gestation, now takes up the living cross, symbolized by the perpen- 
dicular body and the outstretched arms ( — |- ), and in reality does 
raise the "dead thing" to life; a fact which could not be accomplished 
excepting by the five points of contact. The soul functions at the 
solar plexus or navel, it being at the central point where the four 



halves of the body (upper half, lower half, right half, left half) unite. 
Therefore none but a master builder can raise a dead thing to life. 



244 SYMBOLISM 



CHAPTER XXII. 

MAN UNIVERSAL. 

Man's Mind Is Everywhere — Possible for Clairvoyants to See 
the Same Person in Different Places at the Same Time — 
The Reader Is Invited to Try a Simple Experiment and 
Prove the Universality of His Own Mind — Mental Acro- 
batics — Memory a Faculty of the Mind, Not of the Brain 
— Prophecy the Art of Reading the Mind — Matter a 
Vehicle of Mind — All Our Thoughts, Acts and Deeds, 
Now and Forever, Recorded in the Atomic World — A Stu- 
pendous Thought — A Glimpse at Our Own Future. 

How and why man is universal is proven by those illustrations 
used in setting forth the law symbolized in the tiled floor. Spirit is 
the thought form of the body ; as the soul or light, starting forth from 
its source, continues until it meets an opposing ray or force having 
exactly the same number of vibrations, so of spirit or thought form; 
when turned from its course it, too, proceeds in a straight line until 
turned again by meeting an opposing force exactly like itself, and so 
on, until reunited with itself, thus forming a mind circle. So man's 
mind extends or IS in all parts of the world at the same time; because 
of this fact it is possible for him to THINK or BE IN THOUGHT 
in any part of the world or in many places of the world simultane- 
ously. Were it not true that man's mind extends to all parts of the 
earth he could not think beyond his own body; being true, however, 
it is possible for the same mind or person (or perhaps more ccrrectly 



SYMBOLISM 245 



speaking the same intelligence) to be seen in different localities by 
clairvoyants and trance-mediums. 

The reader is here invited to test the truth of this statement 
by the following simple experiment: 

Seat yourself in the center of a room, close the eyes; imagine 
you see yourself fully dressed just as you are, standing against the 
wall in front of you ; shut out of your mind everything but yourself ; 
simply picture yourself in thought as though looking into a mirror. 
Having attained sufficient proficiency to picture yourself as standing 
in front of you, you next picture yourself as standing on the right side 
of the room, thus holding two images in the mind at once. You then 
add a third image of yourself to the two previous ones, seeing your- 
self on the left side of the room, now you are seeing your- 
self in three different places at once. As soon as the mind, or will, 
becomes accustomed to this exercise, you can add a fourth figure by 
seeing yourself standing against the wall in the rear of the room. 
This may seem an impossibility, but I assure you is an easy task and 
quite enjoyable. 

Having succeeded in letting go of yourself sufficiently to see 
yourself at the four sides of the room as directed, try to fill in the 
spaces between the four personages or images by multiplying your- 
self : imagine yourself multiplied sufficiently to fill the spaces, thus 
forming a ring. The ring, of course, will be an endless chain made 
up of images of yourself. Now enlarge the ring so as to include the 
city or town in which you live, by seeing yourself multiplied enough 
to form a circle entirely compassing the city or locality. Enlarge 
this circle again by taking in the county or state, or the nation; 
then enlarge again by taking in the whole earth. Now retrace your 



246 SYMBOLISM 



steps by letting go, first the earth, then the nation, then your city or 
town, back to the room ; then let go the images forming the ring, let 
go the image back of you, now the one on the left, now on the right, 
now the last. By means of this exercise the will gets a splendid 
treatment. It is not a difficult feat after a little practice. 

Reverse this process and visit your own interior self. Picture 
yourself about an inch long standing on the inside of your own skull 
in the front part of the head. After the first image is established add 
the others as before directed. Your own brain will then be spread out 
before you. You will see both its hemispheres, its folds and convolu- 
tions. If you talk to it, each atom will take on a form and look exactly 
like yourself. You will be surprised at the information one is able 
to acquire from a conversation with one's own brain. 

If your curiosity should lead you further and you wish to visit 
other portions of the body you can do so by reducing these four fig- 
ures of yourself to the first one. Now boldly follow the nerves from 
the brain to any portion of the body you may wish to visit. If your 
liver is out of order you may pay it a personal visit, talk to it, as 
though it were a personality (as indeed it is) ; many times the response 
is marvelous. Hypnotists will find in this a great aid in the cure 
of diseases in their subjects. 

That the mind or spirit is not confined to the brain is susceptible 
of proof in various ways. 

The brain of to-day is not the same as that of youth, yet the 
events of youth are readily recalled to-day. A person who- has ever 
been in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco can stand at 
Kansas City and readily recall the scenes and incidents of his visit 
to the other cities; in fact he can, in thought, live them all over again. 



SYMBOLISM 247 



Those cities do not come to him, he does not go to them ; years may- 
have elapsed since his visit and of course his brain has changed many 
times. Therefore "if his mind did not extend' ' to those points he 
could not imagine himself there. 

If the mind did not hark back to the days of youth we could not 
recall the events of youth. If this be true and our minds do extend 
back, may not it also be true that our minds extend into the future? 
This, of course, offers a solution of the law of prophecy, whether the 
prophet be a clairvoyant, palmist, phrenologist or astrologer; all 
these various sciences being means of measuring the mind. 

Prof. Oliver Lodge launches the following theory: "There are 
those who have surmised that matter is, after all, only the weapon and 
vehicle of mind. The way it interprets itself in our consciousness 
through the sense of the organs gives no clue to its nature. A motion 
and alteration of the configuration of the molecules of our brain are 
believed to accompany every act of thought. 

"It will be, at any rate, a suggestive analogy if a material pro- 
cess of an essentially similar sort is found to be occurring through- 
out what we know as the inorganic world — the world of dead matter 
— and we should begin to ask, does all this motion correspond to some 
universal thought or mental activity likewise ?" 

I quote from "Morals and Dogma/' by Pike: 

"Even the pulsations of the air once set in motion by the human 
voice cease not to exist with the sounds to which they gave rise. Their 
quickly attenuated force soon becomes inaudible to human ears. But 
the waves of air thus raised perambulate the surface of earth and 
ocean and in less than twenty hours every atom of the atmosphere 
takes up the altered movement; due to that infinitesimal portion of 



248 SYMBOLISM 



primitive motion which has been conveyed to it through countless 
channels, and which must continue to influence its path throughout 
its future existence. 

"The air is one vast library on whose pages are forever writ- 
ten all that man has ever said or even whispered. 

"There in their mutable but unerring characters, mixed with the 
earliest as well as the latest signs of mortality, stand forever recorded, 
vows unredeemed, promises unfulfilled; perpetuity in the movement 
of each particle, all in unison, the testimony of man's changeful will. 

"God reads that book through; we cannot. So earth, air and 
ocean are eternal witnesses of the acts that we have done. 

"No motion impressed by natural causes or by human agency is 
ever obliterated. 

"Every criminal is by the laws of the Almighty irrevocably 
chained to the testimony of his crime, for every atom of his mortal 
frame through whatever changes its particles may migrate, will still 
retain, adhering to it through every combination, some movement 
derived from that very muscular effort by which the crime itself was 
perpetrated. 

"What if our faculties should be so enhanced in a future life as 
to enable us to perceive and trace the ineffaceable consequences of our 
idle words and evil deeds and render our remorse and grief as eternal 
as those consequences themselves? 

"No more fearful punishment to a superior intelligence can be 
conceived than to see still in action, with the consciousness that it 
must continue in action forever, a cause or wrong put in motion by 
itself ages before. " 



SYMBOLISM 249 



And then the immortal Emerson says : 

"There is no great, no small, 
To the soul that maketh all ; 

And where it cometh all things are, 
And it cometh everywhere." 



250 



SYMBOLISM 




CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE LION'S GRIP. 



Misinterpretation by Masons of Their Symbols — The Lion's 
Grip Said To Be a Relic of Sun Worship — The Three 
Ruffians Claimed To Be the Three Winter Months — A 
Wide Guess at the Crux Ansata — Its True Meaning a 
Union of the Sexes — A Memento of the Phallic Religion 
Handed Down to Us — The Crux Ansata and the Figure 
Six Symbols of the Same Law — Why Woman Cannot Be 
a Mason — The Entire Lesson of Masonry Taught in the 
Three First Degrees, Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft 
and Master. *_- 

Crux Ansata and the Cross of Eternal Life, All Symbolic of 
the Sold, the Union of the Male and Female Principle. 

The true meaning of the lion's grip is so deeply buried in 
the myths, the legends and the past history of Masonry that the most 



SYMBOLISM 251 



learned Masonic writers of to-day fail to reveal its true significance. 

I wish to quote from a work by Robert Hewitt Brown, 32 °, en- 
titled "Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomy." The work shows 
deep thought and extensive research. Mr. Brown says : 

"On the 2 1 st of June when the sun arrives at the summer solstice, 
the constellation Leo, being but 30 in advance of the sun, appears to 
be leading the way and to aid by his powerful paw in lifting the sun 
up to the summit of the Zodiacal arch. April and May are therefore 
said to fail in their attempts to raise the sun; June alone succeeds by 
the aid of Leo. When at a more remote period the summer solstice 
was in Leo and the sun actually entered the stars of that constella- 
tion at the time of his exaltation, the connection was more intimate 
and the allegory still more perfect. 

"This visible connection between the constellation Leo and the 
return of the sun to his place of power and glory at the summit of 
the arch of heaven was the principal reason why that constellation was 
held in such high esteem and reverence by the ancients.'' 

The astrologers distinguished Leo as the "sole house of the 
sun" and taught that the world was created when the sun was in 
that sign. Quoting from Dr. Oliver, Mr. Brown says, "The Lion was 
adored in the East and the West by the Egyptians and the Mexicans. 
"The chief Druid of Britain was styled a Lyon. The national ban- 
ner of the ancient Persians bore the device of the sun in Leo. A lion 

couchant with the sun rising at his back was sculptured on their 
palaces. 

"Dr. Oliver seems, however, to have entirely overlooked the true 
reason for this widespread adoration of the lion. 

"The ancient device of the Persians is an astronomical allegory. 



252 



SYMBOLISM 



"It might well be adopted as an astro-masonic emblem by us. After 
the sun leaves I^eo the days begin to grow unequivocally shorter as 
the sun declines toward the autumnal equinox to be again slain by the 
three autumn months, lie dead through the three winter ones and be 
raised again by the three vernal ones. Each year the great tragedy is 
repeated and the glorious resurrection takes place. Thus as long as 
this allegory is remembered the leading truths of astronomy will be 
perpetuated and the sublime doctrine of the immortal nature of 
man and other great moral lessons they are thus made to teach will 
be illustrated and preserved/ ' 



_Q 



Further on the same author speaking of the "Crux Ansata" or 
the cross of eternal life says: "The specific ancient Egyptian em- 
blem of eternal life does not appear to have been adopted in its com- 
plete form by other nations, that is, as a letter. Its form was abbrevi- 
ated, although its symbolical meaning was retained to some extent. 

"The Egyptian symbol of eternal life in its unabridged form, as 
will be seen, is nothing more than the 'tau cross* surmounted by a 
circle, sometimes made somewhat oval in shape. The entire hier- 



SYMBOLISM 253 



oglyphic was probably originally the picture of the head and horns 
of a bull, surmounted by the orb of the sun, thus expressing in a still 
more direct and specific manner the sun in Taurus. 

"It was thus they were accustomed to represent Apis. This 
symbol from its constant use at first as a sacred emblem, and finally 
as a letter or hieroglyphic, would naturally assume more and more 
of an arbitrary form. 

"The face and horns of the bull would gradually take shape of a 
cross as before described and the orb of the sun which surmounted it,, 
lose somewhat its perfect circular form. 

"If this conjecture be correct it fully explains why this peculiar 
symbol denoted among the Egyptians eternal life. 

"This Egyptian emblem was subsequently named the Crux An- 
sata, or 'cross with a handle/ because it was thought the circle was 
nothing more than a handle for the purpose of carrying the cross. It 
is, in fact, often represented as being so carved on the sculptures, but 
quite as frequently otherwise. The following cut, reproduction of 
ancient symbols, shows the 'sign of life' held by the lower end in the 
hand of the double goddess of truth and justice. 




254 SYMBOLISM 



"The idea advanced by some that it is a key derives little or no 
support from the monuments; besides this, the Egyptian form of a 
key was entirely different. 

"The Crux Ansata was adopted by the early Christians of the 
East as an appropriate symbol of their faith. The old inscriptions of 
the Christians at the great Oasis are headed by this symbol and it 
is also found in some of their monuments at Rome. 

"Among the ancients the cross in this form ( -|- ) was also con- 
sidered a sacred emblem, pointing, as it does, to the four quarters 
of the heavens and embracing both the celestial and terrestisl hem- 
ispheres. 

"It was thus a symbol of the universe and expression of the 
perpetual life and endless duration of nature. 

"The Rosicrucians also taught that this form of the cross was 
the symbol of light because it contained in its formation the ancient 
Roman letters L V X (lux) the Latin word for light Whether 
this beautiful conceit was invented by them or derived from ancient 
sources is unknown. 

"The tau cross is, as has been shown, an ancient symbol of Egypt, 
denoting salvation and eternal life. 

"The triple tau, being a combination of the tau cross three times 
repeated, teaches us that we have an immortal part within us that 
shall survive the grave and which shall never, never, NEVER die." 



SYMBOLISM 



255 




To show how near(?) Masonry interprets her own symbol I 
quote again from Mr. Brown his explanation of the above hier- 
oglyphic taken from ancient Egyptian ruins. To the reader of symbols 
it is an almost priceless picture : 

"The form that lies dead before the altar is that of Osiris, the 
personified Sun God, whom the candidate represents in the drama of 
initiation lying dead at the winter solstice. The cross upon his 
breast refers to the great celestial cross or intersection of the celestial 
equator by the ecliptic. The figure of the lion grasping the constella- 
tion Leo and the summer solstice, at which point the sun is raised 
to life and glory, as has been explained in the allegory of the resurrec- 
tion of the sun, denotes that the candidate is about to be raised from 
a symbolical death to life and power by the grip of the lion's paw, 
This is made clearly manifest from the fact that the lion holds in his 
other paw the ancient Egyptian symbol of eternal life or the Crux 
Ansata. The tablet at the feet of the candidate has inscribed upon 
it in hieroglyphics the sacred names of Amon and of Mut, the life of 
Anion Ra and probably that of the royal candidate. 

"The figure erect at the altar is that of the grand hierophant 



256 SYMBOLISM 



attired as Isis, with the vacant throne upon her head, emblematic of 
the departed sun god. 

"She has her hand raised in an attitude of command, her arm 
forming a right angle. Her eyes are fixed upon the emblematic lion 
as she gives the command that the candidate be raised from death 
and darkness to light and life. 

"There is no doubt but that the whole device is a symbolical 
picture of the initiation of some important person into the mysteries, 
not of Osiris but of Isis, who, represented by the Grand Hierophant, 
stands behind the altar giving the command to raise from death Osiris 
who lies before it. 

"This ancient Egyptian drawing is a strong and startling tes- 
timony of the entire correctness of the astronomical solution of the 
legend of Osiris and that of Hiram. It is, indeed, almost impossible 
to make an emblematic drawing which would be in more perfect 
harmony with it." 

Mr. Brown arrives at a true solution of the symbol, (Crux An- 
sata) in so far as it is a symbol of eternal life, but he fails to see in the 
circle and cross a picture of the sexual organs — united — producing a 
result that is sexless^ this must, of course, be the soul, hence it is 
synonymous with the Roman letter Lux — light. It is the perfect 
blending of the male and female principles that produces the neuter 
gender. That the Crux Ansata is a relic of that age when the Phallic 
religion was prevalent is further proven by the ancient Roman sym- 
bols as shown in the cut representing the two goddesses — truth and 
justice — -each holding in her hand the emblem of perfection. 

They are worshiping at the altar of the male principle, as it is 
through the male principle that the fire of the soul first separates 
from its unity with God. 



SYMBOLISM 257 



It is through man or the male principle that involution takes 
place; through woman, or female, does evolution occur. 

The labors of a priest tend toward the evolution of the race; 
and how perfectly does he symbolize his work when wearing some 
of the robes of his office, his head inserted in the oval of the Crux 
Ansata and the cross hanging down his back. 

To the reader of symbols he is the living, active, soul principle; 
personifying the language of the double symbol he carries. 

The symbolism of the Lion's Grip is astronomical, biological and 
psychological, its main beauty being in the latter sense. 

By reference to Chart No. i it will be seen that when the earth 
is in the sign Scorpio, the sun appears to be in the sign Taurus (the 
Bull). Scorpio is the sign of the sexual organs; it is through them 
that all conception takes place. 

Nine months from conception the earth has moved round 
through the signs of the Zodiac to Leo and that which was con- 
ceived is now brought forth (born) and a dead thing (matter) is 
raised on the five points of contact. The soul being a master builder 
does the work. 

The hand is used as a symbol to give the grip as the four fingers 
represent the four elements: Fire, Earth, Air and Water, while the 
thumb, the fifth point, (the soul) fraternizes with all the fingers, but 
they, like the elements, do not unite with each other. 

The Lion is not only King of Beasts — he is chief of the cat 
tribe, all of whom see best in the dark. 

The soul in its human embodiments is encased rn matter (dark- 
ness). 

The future is unknown. It is metaphorically blindfolded and 



258 SYMBOLISM 



therefore seeks the light. Hence the Lion is a symbol of the soul. 

In the Egyptian illustration the female figure represents evolu- 
tion commanding involution as a principle to rise. 

The vacant crown shows that something is still needed to com- 
plete .the work in hand, a ruling power. The principle of evolution 
symbolized by the female figure, realizes her inability to do the 
work alone, so with her arm at right angles, describing 90 degrees of a 
circle, she commands the principle of involution personified by her 
brother to recognize his own soul. He is buried in the world of 
matter or animal passions, symbolized by the lion (chief of the ani- 
mal world). 

I am loth to leave this subject without shedding some light upon 
a question which the whole world has asked in vain and to which 
Masonry itself has so far failed to give satisfactory answer, ''Why is 
woman debarred from membership in the Masonic order?" 

If, as brother Brown suggests, the emblem should be adopted by 
the fraternity it would disrupt the entire teachings of modern Ma- 
sonry, and would give the woman a moral right to ask for ad- 
mission, in order that she might assist in carrying out the work 
sought to be done, as symbolized by the engraving, viz. : Evolution. 

Previous to the York Convention, A. D. 926, at which time a 
Masonic constitution was adopted, the number of degrees was limited 
to three, and the nature of the work done in the lodges was purely 
metaphysical, women being as necessary to its accomplishment as 
men. Then, as to-day, the best metaphysicians, clairvoyants and 
psychics were women. 

I quote from "Encyclopedia of Free Masonry," by Albert G. 
Mackey, one of the best modern authorities: "The law which ex- 



SYMBOLISM 259 



eludes women from initiation into Masonry is not contained in the 
precise words in any of the old constitutions, although it is continu- 
ally implied, as when it is said in the Landsdowne MS. (year 1560) 
that the apprentice must be 'of limbs whole as a man ought to be/ 
and that he must 'be no bond man/ 

"All the regulations also refer to men only, and in the charges, 
compiled by Anderson and published in 1723, the word woman is for 
the first time introduced and the law is made explicit, as thus it is 
said that the persons admitted members of a lodge must be good and 
true men, no bond men, no women," etc. 

Of course to be in possession of the limbs and parts of a man 
would mean that the candidate be a cross bearer, i. e., must have the 
male sexual organs in full vigor. He must be competent to create, 
because as a builder of a temple dedicated to God's service he becomes 
a co-worker with God, the creator of the universe. 

But as a symbol the cross represents death: the life of God 
flows through the male first, which dies in giving up that life to the 
female who in turn conceives the life and brings it forth. 

So long as these two, man and woman, work separately the re- 
sult of their labors (sexually) is the birth of animals. 

In the chapter on digits the Law, symbolized by the figure 6, is 
the same law that is shown by the Crux Ansata. It means that the 
recognition by man of his spiritual nature and the recognition by 
woman of her spiritual self, and then the conscious union of these four 
in one, produce a result of absolute immunity from the attractions of 
matter. 

Putting words into the mouth of the high priestess in the figure 
shown she would say : 



26o SYMBOLISM 



"Come my brother, see; I have overcome the lusts of the flesh, 
have subdued the three elements of fire, earth and water. I have 
travelled over 90 degrees of the circle of infinity. I am life, and can 
stand erect, but my life is not perfect. I need your crowning power. 
Recognize me and we shall have life eternal. ,, 

Thus does every man's spiritual bride speak to him and beg for 
recognition and evolution, thus does the spiritual groom of every 
woman ask to be embraced, received and nurtured, for he is the spirit 
of God involuting, and has a right to tempt her. In the language 
of the symbol shown woman could not bear a cross. It would be im- 
possible for her to take the three great degrees of Royal-arch Ma- 
sonry. She can take two, but she must fail at the third. The 
first degree, Entered Apprentice, means the point of conception when 
the soul, a ray of light, enters the temple between the two pillars, 
father and mother. Nine months later, at birth, it is "raised" to 
Fellowcraft on the five points of fellowship, and becomes a worker in 
the Grand Lodge. At the age of twelve years or thereabout, under 
the ripening influences of the planet Jupiter, the candidate arrives at 
puberty or is passed to the degree of "master" of life. 

It is a stupendous responsibility to be entrusted with the secret 
creative name of God; it should never be spoken (expressed) except 
in the presence of two witnesses, spirit and matter. 



SYMBOLISM 261 




CHAPTER XXIV. 
THE ALL-SEEING EYE. 

The Human Soul Born into Matter with the Five Senses 
Fully Developed for It — These Are Its Working Tools — 
The Trestle Board of the Soul — The Soul Like Hiram 
Abif, a Skilled Workman Among Metals — No Sound Ex- 
cept Metallic Sound — Psychometry a Masonic Art — The 
Origin of Handshaking — Grips, Signs and Passwords May 
Be Counterfeited, but the Law of the Soul Is Unerring — 
The Intelligence of the Atom — The Importance of the 
Atom — Atoms Bear the Imprint and Name of the Form in 
Which They Are Incorporated — We Are Unconscious of 
Health, but Awaken to Hunger, Thirst, Disease and 
Pain — It Was the Sinners Who Were Nearest Ap- 
proached by Christ — Each Human Being an Atom in the 
Divine Anatomy — Humanity as a Whole Forms the Skin 
or Cuticle of the Worle> — The World Itself but an Atom 
in the Universe of Worlds — Each Individual a Center 
and the Human Family Its Circumference — How Ma- 
sonry Intentionally Misleads Its Members — The Truth 



262 SYMBOLISM 



Is Not for Those Who Would Misuse It — Truth a Deadly 
Thing — Man in Constant and Conscious Communion with 
God. 

As a symbol the eye may be said to be another way of making 
a picture of God. 

The worm has no eyes, yet it senses danger through the pores 
of its skin. Deep marine life are not always provided with organs 
of sight, yet they build, destroy, rear their young, and pass from the 
world of existence in surroundings of midnight darkness. They see 
through other organs. Many specimens of animal and insect life 
are bereft of all organs of sensation except, perhaps, two — and many 
times only one — that of taste — and by the power of taste alone do they 
see all that is necessary for their existence. 

Visit any institute for the blind and see how wonderfully the 
power of seeing through the fingers is being developed by those 
bereft of eye sight. Observe how those who are deaf and dumb hear 
and speak through their eyes and fingers. 

But we must go deeper into the ways of nature if we would un- 
derstand the occult laws pictured by this grand symbol. 

Man is born into this great universal lodge room with his five 
senses fully developed for him. These are his working tools; with 
them he daily takes his bearings and determines just where he is. 

These are the instruments with which he measures, plans and 
determines the work for the day — his trestle board. For whatever the 
body (temple) requires must be sensed through some of the physical 
organs, and then by the exercise of these same organs the needs of 
the body (temple) are secured. 



SYMBOLISM 263 



By the cultivation of these faculties danger is apprehended and 
defeated; joy is contemplated and achieved. 

Within the physical body are all the elements of which the earth is 
composed in a permutated state. 

As gold, silver, iron, copper, and many other metals and 
minerals compose the earth, so these same substances are 
found in chemicalization in the human body. Were this not true 
there would be no sensation at all, for there can be no sound except 
metallic sound; in other words, metals are the basis of all vibration. 

Every soul, therefore, must be a skilled and cunning workman in 
metals before he can be acceptable unto the Lord. 

First Kings, vii:i3, reads as follows: "And King Solomon 
sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was a widow's son of the 
tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; 
and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to 
work all works in brass. And he came to King Solomon, and wrought 
all his work." 

Second Chronicles, ii 113-14 : [Huram of Tyre writes to King 
Solomon :] "And now I have sent a cunning man endued with under- 
standing, of Huram my father's, the son of a woman of the daughters 
of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful to work in gold, and 
in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, 
and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of grav- 
ing, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy 
cunning men, and with the cunning men of my Lord David thy 
father." 

Huram Abif, as a type or symbol of the Soul, was not only a 
skilled workman in metals, but he was master of colors as well. 



264 SYMBOLISM 



The source of all color is planetary. That is to say each planet 
has a vibration of its own, or color. There are seven planets in this 
solar system besides the sun, moon, and earth. They each rush 
through space at tremendous velocity, producing their own individual 
note or color. These in turn are taken up by the sun and blended to- 
gether as one color or note, and we, by the prism and our musical 
instruments, divide this one color into primary parts: which are 
seven, and the one great note is divided into seven primary ones. 
Thus there can be but seven colors and seven notes. 

Of course these seven are divided indefinitely because the stars 
of heaven are infinite. 

This skilled and cunning workman was also an engraver on 
wood and stone; that is to say he had complete control of those 
elements. 

What are the bones of our bodies but stony substances ? 

He was a master workman among fine linens. Linen being a 
vegetable fiber this is a symbolic way of saying, man must select his 
food from the vegetable kingdom and not poison himself. He must 
know intuitively what is good for him and what is not. 

The All-Seeing Eye is a symbol of psychometry or soul meas- 
urement. We develop this power in contact with nature, but more es- 
pecially in contact with our fellow human than among the trees and 
flowers. However, there are many natures so sensitive that they 
can, even blindfolded, describe a tree by holding a chip from it in the 
hand, or describe a mine by holding a piece of quartz from its mother 
lode, read a sealed letter, or describe accurately diseases of an absent 
person by holding in the hand some article touched by the absent one. 

The habit of hand shaking had its origin among a fraternity who 



SYMBOLISM 265 



understood the law of psychometry, and who were forbidden to meet 
publicly and teach their art. As a protection against being deceived 
they extended the hand as a challenge to have their thoughts and in- 
tentions searched by the light of the soul, in turn demanding to search 
the other soul. 

Passwords, grips and signs may be counterfeited, but the light 
of the soul is always true and unerring. 

Many business men accept and reject propositions according to 
their impressions. s 

This faculty of soul measurement, when developed in certain di- 
rections, amounts to inspiration. 

Many a public speaker owes his fame and prosperity to the 
fact that at some time (the crucial time) he psychometrized or soul- 
measured his audience. He sensed what they wanted and then 
launched his own soul forth into the universal soul, and gave back to 
his listeners that which they had sent out. He gave them what they 
wanted. 

A young man away from home on a hunting trip, wrote at the 
end of the first day's sport that he had killed seven wild geese. The 
letter, unopened, was handed to a psychic woman who happened to be 
visiting at the home at the time. She held the letter in her hand, 
closed her eyes, and gave a perfect description of the young man 
dressed in his hunting costume. She described the tent and surround- 
ings of a hunter's camp. She then said she saw the air full of large 
birds — she could not tell whether they were eagles, hawks, or crows, 
but anyhow she saw the young man shooting at them and she could see 
one — two — three fall. 

On the young man's return he was told of the psychometric 



266 SYMBOLISM 



reading of his letter, upon which he confessed that he had lied to the 
amount of four geese. Instead of killing seven he had killed only 
three. 

We may speak lies with our lips, we may write lies with ink and 
paper, we may even live lies to the world, but the soul of man, being of 
God, speaks the truth wherever it writes its name. 

The atoms of matter in the paper and ink received the true 
thoughts of the young man. 

The furniture of a house becomes magnetized or charged with 
the thoughts and sentiments, health and diseases of its occupants. 

Food is blessed or cursed according to the soul conditions of 
those who prepare it. Whole families (otherwise happy) are some- 
times thrown into quarrelsome and diseased conditions by reason of 
an unhappy, sickly cook in the kitchen. 

Thus it will be seen that blessings like prayers, must come from 
the heart to be effective. 

Foods receive the thought vibrations of those who prepare them ; 
when food is taken into the system the partakers thereof need not be 
surprised if they become inspired with the hopes, desires and prayers, 
or the fears, worries and ailments of those who prepared it. 

How much more wholesome is that food prepared by mother's 
dear hands than similar food prepared by the chef of a cafe or hotel ? 
Mother holds the image of each member of the family in loving 
thought during the entire process. She fills every morsel of food 
with that deep care and solicitude that only a mother can feel. 

On the other hand, hotel food is prepared by machinery mostly, 
and no thought of love or kindness is worked into it. 

Tin cans, wooden boxes and paper packages form no barrier to 



SYMBOLISM 267 



thought, and if food stuffs do record thought vibrations what kind 
of influences are carried home from the corner store which is half 
saloon and half grocery? Think of the vile thoughts and language 
emanating from the habitues of such a place. Can one expect a 
healthy, happy, prosperous people who eat the butter, cheese, cil, and 
milk, loaded with the thought vibrations of such conditions, to con- 
tinue happy, healthy and prosperous? 

The lesson taught by the All- Seeing Eye is that every atom of 
matter has intelligence. Not human, of course, but atomic intelli- 
gence, sufficient for its expression. Therefore the eye becomes the 
symbol of soul or sensation. From the highest to the lowest wher- 
ever sensation is, there God, symbolized by the All-Seeing Eye, may 
be found. 



268 SYMBOLISM 



/ 



CHAPTER XXV. 



The Reader Is Invited to Test the Truthfulness of the State- 
ments Made in the Preceding Pages ey a Joint Exercise of 
• the Will and Breath — A Realization of Life. 

By means of symbols the author has striven to prove the existence 
of a creative principle. In chapter III the positive statement is made 
that "soul is sexless and therefore creative." It is not within the 
scope of this volume to make a full expose of the workings of the soul 
through the generative organs. Public sentiment forbids the telling 
of the whole truth upon this sacred and intensely interesting subject. 
There is, however, a practical, every day use that this creative power 
can be put to. A little practice of a few very simple exercises will 
prove to any one that God the source of life is not afar off but most 
fearfully near, and that the fountain of life is not to be sought after 
but rather realized. 

There is no place in the whole universe where there is any more 
life than where we are now this very moment. Ages of time will 
not bring us any nearer the fountain of life than we are at present. 

It can only bring us into a more perfect realization of our soul or 
will power, and this realization must necessarily come through experi- 
ence. 

When the strange man in Idaho said to the author that "intelli- 
gent communion between planets was possible," the author rather 
questioned the truthfulness of the statement. Subsequent experiences 
of a personal nature have, however, satisfied him that it is a truth. 

If the reader wishes to test his own creative power let him first 



SYMBOLISM 269 



get control over the physical body. Not only the voluntary muscles, 
such as the arms, feet and legs, but the involuntary muscles as well, 
such as the heart, liver, stomach and bowels. Of course there are 
but few ready to believe that the heart and stomach can be brought 
into subjugation to the will, but let them follow the simple exercises 
here given and the discovery will soon be made that man is a creator 
and that every part of his body is responsibe to soul power. In chap- 
ter XX it was shown how every breath is numbered and gendered. It 
was shown that each incoming breath was masculine and that each 
outgoing breath was feminine. That our life comes in on the incom- 
ing breath and goes out on the outgoing breath. 

It was shown that all impurities are expunged on the suspended 
or outgoing breath. Of course the reader will agree that, so long as 
there is breath in the body there is life, and if that life can be directed 
or sent to any or all parts of the body it will of a certainty restore 
the diseased parts to health. We boldly make the statement that it is 
possible to breathe through any and all parts of the body, and as breath 
is life it follows as a corollary that if one's life can be intelligently di- 
rected to any particular part or portion of the body, then man is of a 
certainty a creator and has power over death, not absolute power but 
relative. 

In the application of the breath as a healing agent, nature must 
be consulted and worked with and not against therefore let us begin at 
the foundation. We have seen that it was the expansion of the dia- 
phram that caused the first breath, therefore it is necessary that we 
learn to breathe from the solar plexus rather than the chest. 

This is a simple process and easy of accomplishment. Simply 
will the muscles of the diaphram to expand and at the same time in- 



270 SYMBOLISM 



Jtale through the nostrils keeping the mouth closed, taking care that 
there be no expansion of the chest. When, by practice, this can be 
accomplished the rest is easy. In order to make sure that you are 
breathing from the solar plexus it is well to place one hand over the 
region of the navel and the other over the chest, and if the hand on 
the chest can detect any heaving or expanding you may know that you 
are not breathing from the solar plexus. 

During the early stages of this practice it is best to lie perfectly 
flat on the back, and after one has become proficient, then it is easy 
to breathe from the solar plexus while walking in the street or at 
work under any and all conditions, and by continued practice it fin- 
ally becomes second nature, and one breathes from their soul uncon- 
sciously and this develops a soul or psychic power that will be aston- 
ishing. 

Having learned to breathe next step is to learn how to direct 
the generated life to any desired portion of the body. 

Again we seek nature and learn from her how to lay our founda- 
tion. She tells us that our bodies are made of the elements of the 
earth and that our bodies have come from all the four quarters of the 
universe; that there is a constant tendency on the part of the atoms 
of our bodies to go back to their original elements. That the only ob- 
stacle that prevents the dissolution of our bodies is our will and our 
breath — once the will and breath leave the body its particles seek their 
own level. 

Nature also tells us that our bodies, like the earth, have polarity, 
that our head and feet are polar opposites as well as our hands, and 
that these four electric and magnetic polarities meet at the center of 
the body (navel). 



SYMBOLISM 271 






Every atom of matter in our bodies is therefore polarised to one 
of the four quarters of the universe. 

If we would harmonize our bodies to the life forces of the uni- 
verse we can only do so by the power of the breath intelligently di- 
rected by the will. 

Again we seek nature and apply our key — (For man has within 
him the key to the process by which he may know all there is to know) 
we make the discovery that man has a mineral (bone) foundation, 
that there are seven main entrances or doorways, viz. feet, knees, hips, 
neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, and that the life forces flowing 
through the marrows of the bones is liable to escape through any of 
these doorways. We also learn that there are seven vital internal in- 
voluntary organs, viz. the heart, lungs, liver, stomach, bowels, kidneys 
and sexual organs. We now have a foundation and can intelligently 
proceed to> rebuild and remake our own temple. Again do we go to 
nature and ask her to reveal to us the first and primal matter, and she 
answers — "Will" synonymus with "Faith." She says to us that "will" 
coupled with breath is the beginning of all manifested life. How to 
use our will and breath then is our next concern. Knowing that the 
atoms of our bodies are polarized to the four corners of the universe 
we begin to harmonize them with the spirit of the universe by an ex- 
ercise of our will and breath. 

To do this we simply breathe through the seven doorways of 
the mineral temple from the four corners of the universe by the fol- 
lowing process : First take the solar breath by willing the diaphragm 
to expand and at the same time inhaling through the nostrils. When 
the body feels full hold the breath, close the eyes and will the life 
power out through the toes, and at the same time be standing on the 



272 SYMBOLISM 



toes. Hold this position for a few seconds then stand on the heels 
imagining the life forces flowing from you through the heels into 
the earth. While still standing on the toes turn the heels outward and 
imagine the life forces to flow to the two points of the compass in the 
direction they point. Now place the feet flat on the floor and then 
turn the toes out in the same manner the heels were turned. If the 
breath is not yet exhausted rock back and forth on the heels and toes 
until you can no longer hold it, then assume a normal position and at 
the same time let go your breath or exhale. After a respite of one or 
two breaths treat the knees in the same manner by keeping all parts 
of the body perfectly still except the knees. They alone are to be ex- 
ercised and breathed through. 

First place the feet closely together, stand erect, take the solar 
breath as before directed, then spread the knees apart as far as pos- 
sible without moving the feet, then put the knees as close together as 
possible. Now bring your will to bear and force your knees backward 
as far as possible taking care that no other part of the body moves. 
Now bend them forward by stooping as low as you can without mov- 
ing the feet, and as you rise to the normal position exhale the long 
pent up breath. Next the hips are to be treated in the same manner. 
After taking the solar breath just will or imagine, if you please, that 
your breath now pent up in the center of the body is escaping through 
the joints of the bones in the direction you bend them, first to the 
east or right, then to the left or west, then in front, south, and then be- 
tiind or to the north. It matters not so far as the points of the com- 
pass is concerned. The work is accomplished by the will, for the 
breath being suspended is like the steam in a boiler, and as the steam 
escapes through the weakest part, so the breath of life will follow the 
will wheresoever it may be directed. 



SYMBOLISM 273 



After treating the hip joints, then treat the neck by moving the 
head backward, forward, to the right and left, of course holding the 
breath during the process, then take the shoulder joints and by mov- 
ing them forward, backward, up and down, they, too, become polar- 
ized to the four points of the compass. Next pay your respects to the 
elbows and hands and when treating the hands, simply extend the 
arms straight out before you, touch the ends of the thumbs, then when 
you have taken the solar breath, keep the thumbs in contact hut bend 
the fingers up, then down, then out, and then in; put a strain upon 
them and turn the fingers as far as possible in each of the directions, 
as exertion is necessary to cause the life forces to flow from the reser- 
voir in the center out through the extremities. Having directed the 
river of life in and out through the seven doorways of the foundation 
temple, the next step is to visit the seven internal vital organs. 

The stomach being the most responsive to the will power, it is 
best to begin with it, so with the taking of the solar breath and when 
the body feels full, simply will the stomach up and at the same time 
will it to tip forward a little accompanying the thought with an exer- 
tion to have it do as you desire, and you will notice a very perceptible 
movement, then with the same breath will it backward and down, then 
to the right and then to the left. After the stomach take the bowels 
and with the breath suspended, lift them up by the power of the will 
then move them to right and then to the left, turning them around and 
around, first in one direction and then in the other holding the thought 
all the time that the breath of life or soul force is flowing from the 
central reservoir at the solar plexus out through that particular part or 
organ upon which the will is centered. 

In treating the internal organs it must be borne in mind that no 



274 SYMBOLISM 



portion of the body should move, but that pari or organ that is under 
treatment. Even the heart, liver and kidneys, after repeated efforts, 
will respond to the action of the will and a perceptible movement will 
be noticed. 

To recapitulate: 

After taking in the solar breath, hold it and while suspended, will 
the organ or part to move up, down, in, out, forward, backwai d, right 
and left, all the time imagining that the breath of life is flowing 
through the part or organ as directed by the will, and indeed just such 
phenomena is taking place. Of course the physical atmosphere comes 
in through the nostrils and passes out through the openings of the 
throat, but the breath of life goes and comes according to the power 
and desire of the will. 

Every farmer boy knows that in order to shoulder a sack of 
wheat he must hold his breath. No Paddy on the railroad would at- 
tempt to cast a shovelful of earth 20 feet without first taking a breath, 
closing the mouth and holding it closed during the exertion. 

Any great effort of the body is always accompanied by a tem- 
porary suspension of breathing. No pugilist would attempt to give 
the knockout blow with an open mouth and on an exhaling breath. 
There is no strength nor power nor life in the body void of breath, 
and breath of itself is powerless except it be directed and guided by 
will. We cannot breathe our bodies from one place to another. We 
cannot will them to go from point to point. We must accompany the 
breath and the will by an effort, an exertion. 

As a child I had to learn the use of feet and legs, hands and arms, 
but as a man I simply will these members to do my bidding and then I 
accompany the will by making the effort. 



SYMBOLISM 275 



Feet, hands, arms, and legs are seldom attacked by disease, and 
the reason is because those members are more thoroughly under the 
dominion of the will as they are constantly receiving the breath of 
life, it being worked in and through them by the power of the will in 
almost constant exertion. 

To the internal organs that are most vital to our health and hap- 
piness, we pay no attention, though they are almost as responsive to 
our will as other portions of the body. 

By following these simple instructions !:he reader will soon dis- 
cover that the creative principle or God is fearfully close, that it is 
possible for one to even stop the most acute pain almost instantly by 
simply taking the solar breath and then willing the life in and out 
through the part afflicted. 

One soon learns too, how to commune with God and be conscious 
of his own at-one-ment. He will then know what the Son of God 
meant when he said, — "Lo I stand at the door and knock and if any 
man shall open I will come in and sup with him." 

And now, as I reluctantly draw these pages to a close, I wish 
again to say to the reader, and I regret that I am not able to write it 
upon the heart, mind and soul of every human being : 

Man has within him the key to the process by which he may 
know all there is to know. 



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